While Canada’s veteran athletes have delivered world-class performances, a surge of young talent have propelled the team to new heights. Among the young, one can’t overlook their youngest, De Fazio Ebert, the 16-year-old skateboarding rookie who got placed 20th on her Olympic debut, just one year after qualifying.
In addition to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Elbert had a companion throughout her life in her support. Her mother has always been there for her, whether it was recreational park stunts or everyday practice. Her unconditional devotion to her daughter’s dream got her to the Paris 2024 Olympics as Canada’s youngest athlete.
While she improved with every run, she missed her opportunity to advance to the third. The goal was to attempt the higher level of difficulty of flipping the board over and landing smoothly. Nonetheless, she scored 51.82, missing the mark. 
The 2023 Pan Am Games gold medalist entered her debut games ranked 23rd in the world. Not only had she dreamed of competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics but of coming back with accolades as well. Even though her plans did not come to fruition, she is happy that she had given it her very best shot.
It’s not the Olympic debut De Fazio Ebert was hoping for, but she’s looking at the positives. She told the Canadian Olympic Committee:
“It’s like a mixed emotion. I’m so happy that I’m here and have had the opportunity to experience all this. I didn’t put down my run but I tried my best. I’m really excited that everyone is here supporting me. I see all those Canadian flags. It’s really amazing.”
Canada’s peppy perk told the Canadian Press:
“I’m going to feel proud of myself and proud of myself for how hard I tried,” said the Toronto teenager. “If I didn’t try, I would be even more upset with myself.”
Looking at her tender age, she stayed with her mother at the hotel, but had a longing to have a chance to experience that as well and said:
“I don’t get to stay in the village, but I get to see the village and go around,” she said. “I don’t get to sleep there, but it’s so sick.
“I guess people get sick of it because they’re there for so long, but it feels like a cozy space to hang out and get in the mindset because everybody’s so cool there.”
Russell’s Near-Miss at Paris 2024
While the Paris 2024 Olympics were in full swing, Elbert wasn’t the only Canadian at La Concorde skatepark. The men’s team consisted of Ryan Decenzo, Cordano Russell, and returning Olympian Matt Berger.
As the day began, Dcenzo and Berger struggled to advance from heats, finishing 18th and 11th, respectively. However, Russell had made some awestruck waves to show to the skateboarding world. As the only Canadian to make it to the event’s final, he anticipated becoming Canada’s first Olympic medalist. However, a few fumbles ended up crushing his dream, leaving him in 7th place with 263.87 points.
“That’s where I love showing it because I worked so hard on doing things – on purpose – that no one else does,” he told Canadian Olympic Committee. “For me to put all those out there, those three that I’ve been drilling hours… bruises, bumps, everything. Training and recovering. And for those to all go down it’s very special for me. That is a win in my books,” he added.
Despite a whistle miss by Canada’s top athletes at the Paris 2024 Games, they remain hopeful and hope to achieve their goal in Los Angeles.
Stay tuned with WSG for more updates on Paris 2024.
