Four skateboarders announced to the Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024

TORONTO (June 26, 2024) – Canada Skateboard and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada skateboarding athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:

Matt Berger (Kamloops, B.C.)
Ryan Decenzo (Delta, B.C.)
Fay De Fazio Ebert (Toronto, Ont.)
Cordano Russell (London, Ont.)

The four athletes qualified for Paris 2024 based on their performances across World Skate events over the past two years, as well as the Olympic Qualifier Series which concluded this past weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

Berger is the only skateboard athlete on the Paris 2024 Canadian Olympic Team with previous Olympic experience. He will compete in the men’s street event for the second consecutive Olympic Games. Berger’s best finish at the World Skateboard Championships was in 2021 when he finished sixth. In 2024, he finished seventh in the World Skate Dubai Street Men’s Final.

Decenzo, who made his major Games debut for Team Canada at Santiago 2023, will make his Olympic debut in Paris. The longtime national team athlete will celebrate his 38th birthday a few days before the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. An X Games gold medallist, he has been a mainstay in international skateboarding for over a decade. After just missing qualification for Tokyo 2020, Decenzo is thrilled to have the opportunity to compete for Team Canada at the Olympic Games.

“To represent Canada for skateboarding in Paris is an honour. It’s something we have all been working hard toward. It was not an easy process, but we are happy to be here today. We will give it our all and hopefully, make Canada proud,” said Decenzo. 

Russell, the highest-ranked Canadian in the men’s street rankings, will make his major Games debut for Team Canada. The 19-year-old former football player has rapidly propelled himself into the elite ranks of street skateboarding, placing fourth at the 2023 World Skate Street World Championships. He chose to defer his scholarship to the University of San Diego to focus on qualifying for Paris.

At 14 years old, De Fazio Ebert is likely to be the youngest competitor on Team Canada’s Paris 2024 delegation. The Santiago 2023 Pan American Games gold medallist in women’s park will make her Olympic debut after five years of competitive skateboard experience. She continues to impress locally and internationally while encouraging a generation of young girls to skateboard. De Fazio Ebert’s gold medal at Santiago 2023 was Canada’s first medal in skateboarding at the Pan Am Games, as the sport made its Pan Am Games debut.

“It makes a big impact having so many outstanding Canadian skateboarders headed to Paris 2024. We lack high-level skateboarding training facilities in the country,” said De Fazio Ebert. “Yet, to see us as a team, as individuals, push through and skateboard our best on this international scene is amazing.”

Adam Higgins, high performance director for Canada Skateboard, praised the athletes for their resilience and unwavering commitment to see their Olympic dreams through under challenging circumstances. “This qualification period began back in June 2022, the dedication required to get to this point has been incredibly demanding,” said Higgins. “These four skateboarders have kept pushing and progressing, and now they have the honour of representing skateboarding and Canada on the Olympic stage. Paris 2024 – let’s Go!”

The men’s street skateboarding event will take place  July 27 (Day 1) at La Concorde 3, while the women’s park event will take place August 6 (Day 11) at La Concorde 4.

‘’I’m thrilled to cheer on the four Team Canada skateboarding athletes in Paris! They’re ready to set the Olympic stage on fire with their spectacular tricks. I look forward to seeing them push their limits and fulfill their dreams in the magical atmosphere of Paris,‘’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. ‘’Together, let’s make the maple leaf shine boldly on the world’s greatest playground.‘’

Team Canada’s skateboarding team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following alternate athletes, coaches and support staff:

Alternate Athletes
Micky Papa (Coquitlam, B.C.) – Alternate Athlete 

Coaches
Sean Hayes (Vancouver, B.C.) – National Team Coach
Adam Higgins (Squamish, B.C.) – National Team Coach and High Performance Director

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Emanuele Barbier, Communications
Canada Skateboard
C: 438-836-5910
E: emanuele@canadaskateboard.ca

Tara MacBournie, Program Manager, Sport Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca