World champion figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek has decided to return to representing the United States after spending seven seasons competing for Canada. She will now form a new pairs partnership with Danil Siianytsia.
Stellato-Dudek, a 43-year-old from Chicago, previously competed for the United States in women’s singles over 25 years ago before transitioning to Canada’s program in 2019 to skate alongside Maxime Deschamps. However, Deschamps recently announced his retirement from competitive figure skating in July.
In 2024, at the age of 40, Stellato-Dudek made history by becoming the oldest woman to win a world figure skating title with Deschamps for Canada. Their achievements also include winning the 2024 Four Continents title and three Canadian championships. Following this success, she gained Canadian citizenship, allowing her to represent Canada at the Olympics.
Expressing her excitement about the new partnership, Stellato-Dudek stated, “I’m incredibly excited to begin this new chapter with Danil and I’m so grateful for all the fans who continue to support me through every chapter of my journey. I’ll give everything I have to make you proud and represent the USA with everything I have.”
Stellato-Dudek reflected on her career, saying, “My journey in this sport has taken me places I never could have imagined, but the United States is where it all began for me. I’m grateful for everything I’ve experienced throughout my career and excited about what Danil and I can build together.”
At the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps finished in 11th place after facing challenges leading up to their long-awaited Olympic debut. Stellato-Dudek suffered a head injury during a training session less than three weeks before the pairs event but received medical clearance just days before competing. Unfortunately, a fall during the short program dashed their hopes of contending for a medal.
Danil Siianytsia, a 25-year-old from Dnipro, Ukraine, has been representing the United States in pairs competition since 2017, most recently skating with Anastasiia Smirnova. Stellato-Dudek and Siianytsia will be training in Colorado Springs under Olympic coach Drew Meekins in preparation for the qualifying season leading up to the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.