Canada's Maxime Deschamps and Deanna Stellato-Dudek are set to introduce their new short and free skate routines this week at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images/File)
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, fresh off their gold-medal triumph at the world championships in Montreal, are laser-focused on their next goal—winning Olympic gold. Stellato-Dudek, at 41, made history as the oldest woman to win a world title. However, there's no time to bask in glory as she and Deschamps immediately began preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
"We’ve had no break, no time to reflect," Stellato-Dudek shared. "The Olympics in 2026 is our main focus." Although representing Canada at the World Championships, Stellato-Dudek, originally from the U.S., still needs to obtain Canadian citizenship to compete in the Olympics. She’s hopeful that the process will be completed in time, and with nearly 10,000 signatures on a Change.org petition, she remains optimistic. There's also a precedent for skaters like Kaitlyn Weaver and Piper Gilles obtaining citizenship before previous Olympic games.
The pair, who formed a partnership in 2019, have always shared the Olympic dream. Stellato-Dudek's comeback story is inspiring—after retiring at 17 due to a hip injury, she returned to the sport 16 years later. She then moved to Montreal and teamed up with Deschamps, who was working with his ninth partner at the time.
Even after winning the world championship, there was little time to rest. The duo performed in the Stars On Ice tours across Japan and Canada and soon after began training again in June. Now, they’re preparing for the 2024-25 season, knowing they’re the team to beat. Despite this pressure, Deschamps insists their approach remains the same: “We’re not different; we aim to beat ourselves and improve every season.”
Their new programs, set to debut at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany, are designed to push creative boundaries. With a short program featuring a remix of Beyoncé’s "Crazy In Love" and a free program combining music by Hans Zimmer and others, the pair are committed to innovating while staying within required competition guidelines. “We want to be a better version of ourselves this year,” Stellato-Dudek said.
The spotlight on them is inevitable, especially with Olympic gold as the ultimate goal. Their coach, Mike Slipchuk, believes the experience of defending their world title will strengthen their chances. "Pressure is part of it, and it's good they’re dealing with this now, a year out from the Olympics," he said.
While Canada’s pairs team is shining, the singles category needs improvement ahead of the Milan Games. Madeline Schizas, who finished 18th last season, hopes to bounce back after a methodical off-season. On the men’s side, Wesley Chiu and Roman Sadovsky face tough competition, but Skate Canada remains hopeful for better results this season.
Meanwhile, Japanese skater Rika Kihira has decided to sit out the season due to an ankle injury. Despite signs of healing, she’s choosing to focus on recovery with the Olympics just over a year away. The 22-year-old Grand Prix champion aims to return stronger next season, determined to regain her place in the sport.
