I agree with you that it’s better to err on the side of his religious rights.
My 8 years as a track coach says he crossed the finish line and did some distance toward a victory lap with his finger in the air.
Beyond all this, I think it’s a dumb rule, and except for high jumpers and pole vaulters, I don’t like our rules in Ohio about jewelry. But, we always told the kids the rules, spoke against the dumb ones when appropriate, and nonetheless expected them to be followed.
All that said, and Tebow notwithstanding, the raised index is vastly more common as a sign of #1 than of anything else.
Romney made it famous as “The Finger in the Wind” checking his beliefs.
You know, he could have been checking for the wind direction and speed in anticipation of his next race.
In sprints, the times are significantly affected by wind speed and direction. In the 200 meter for example, the position of the runner on the track can be significantly affected by the lane you are assigned if there is a cross wind.
With a cross wind blowing at the runners, the guy in the first lane has to run farther into the wind, however if there is a tail wind blowing across the track behind the runners, then the guy in the first lane has a significant advantage because he will be running further with the wind to his back.
Maybe he was just prepping for the next race?
Think that would fly?