Recently, the teenage Canadian Olympic skateboarder Cordano Russell gave glory to the Lord just before kicking off a competition in Paris. Just before the commencement of the Men’s Street Skateboarding competition on July 29, the 19-year-old proclaimed “Jesus is King!” as the cameras focused on him. Numerous athletes have made gestures of faith in the Olympics this year, perhaps motivated by the apparent mockery that occurred during the opening ceremony.
Russell discussed his performance, stating, “It was kind of like a pinnacle moment for me. I found my first board inside of a bush. And I stepped on it. It was beat up. And I stepped on it, hit my head, and I was like, ‘Let’s go!’ Like, that’s what I want to do.” The athlete also suggested that God played a divine role in him getting into skateboarding.
“Honestly, I feel like it was truly divine,” he explained. “Like, out of all of the things that I could have found, a skateboard in the Midwest. In St. Louis, Missouri. It’s not a big skate scene out there like in Chicago or New York, you know? I’m like on the East Coast side in St. Louis, Missouri. I feel like it was truly destined for me to be a skateboarder.”
He continued, noting that he dreamed of an opportunity to compete in the Olympics. “I thought if I ever have an opportunity to ever go to the Olympics, I want to represent the motherland [Canada] which is literally my mother’s land,” Russell said. “The barriers to entry for Canada compared to the U.S. team was a lot more applicable to my situation.”
Speaking about the importance of his faith in Jesus Christ, he said, “Honestly, it empowers me. I know where my true identity is, and that is in the Lord. So, I wanted to use my time, talents and treasures and ultimately be able to inspire others through that, through my faith, through who I am.”
Despite not bringing home a gold medal in his sport, Russell gave thanks to God for the opportunity. “What an amazing journey it has been from my debut in Rome till now,” he said on social media.”I will never forget these wonderful moments in Paris. Thank you to everyone who helped me accomplish this milestone. The biggest thank you goes to my Heavenly Father. ‘Humble in victory and gracious in defeat.'”
The Christian Tribune also reported on 16-year-old Olympic skateboarder Rayssa Leal who communicated John 14:6 when the camera panned to her during her event. The Scripture reads, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
She later told reporters, “Once again, thank God I won a medal. I’m very happy to be here.” Leal demonstrated great bravery in her expression of faith, as the Olympics have reportedly banned faith-related statements from athletes at the Games. According to the International Olympic Committee, Olympic venues and podiums must be “neutral and free from any form of political, religious, or ethnic demonstrations.”
Watch Bishop Bishop Robert Barron’s response to the Olympic opening ceremony: