MILAN, Italy – Canadian skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek, at 42 years old, has starred in one of the most inspiring stories at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Alongside her partner Maxime Deschamps, she debuted in the pairs figure skating competition. The pair, world champions in 2024, arrived in Italy after overcoming difficult weeks. Stellato-Dudek suffered an injury during pre-competition training, which forced the Canadian team to withdraw from the team competition and put their participation in the individual event in doubt. However, they received medical clearance just before traveling from Montreal.
“After hitting my head, I didn’t know if I would be able to be in the Olympic Games. I am convinced that all the positive messages helped my recovery. We are grateful to be here.”
Deanna Stellato-Dudek
A debut marked by an incident
The expected Olympic debut had a bittersweet moment. During the short program, a fall at the end of a lift, one of the pair’s strongest elements, cost them important points. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps finished in 14th position with 66.04 units, losing around five points due to that error, which would have allowed them to place eighth. “I was very proud of our performance until that lift. It’s one of our strongest elements, so it was very disappointing. That’s where we lost a lot of points.” Despite the setback, the Canadian skater highlighted the magnitude of the moment: “I feel like I’m going down a road at 100 miles per hour. I’ve waited a long time for this.”An exceptional return
Stellato-Dudek’s trajectory is unique in modern figure skating. She excelled as a junior in the late 90s, but retired for 16 years before returning to the ice in 2016 with the goal of fulfilling her Olympic dream. Two decades after aspiring to participate in Salt Lake City 2002 or Turin 2006, she finally managed to compete in an Olympic Games. Her return to the elite, her life outside of sports, and the determination needed to compete against athletes who, on average, are almost half her age, were documented in the film Deanna’s Dream, produced by the Olympic Channel.Although not the oldest skater to participate in a Games, Stellato-Dudek breaks the mold of a discipline where the average age is around 24 years old in the pairs category.
The couple will seek to improve their performance in the free program, determined to once again defy the odds and proudly close a story that is already part of the Olympic memory of Milan-Cortina 2026.“Keep pursuing what you want, ignore the people who criticize you. The only limits are the ones you set for yourself.”
Deanna Stellato-Dudek
