World champion figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek has decided to return to the United States after representing Canada for seven years. She will now be partnering with Danil Siianytsia in a new pairs collaboration.
Stellato-Dudek, originally from Chicago and now 43 years old, previously competed for the United States in women’s singles over 25 years ago. In 2019, she transitioned to Canada’s program to skate alongside Maxime Deschamps, who 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 championship with Deschamps for Canada. The duo also clinched the 2024 Four Continents title and secured three Canadian championships. After obtaining Canadian citizenship, she became eligible to represent Canada at the Olympics.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the new partnership, Stellato-Dudek stated, “I’m thrilled to embark on this next chapter with Danil and deeply appreciate the unwavering support of my fans throughout my journey. I am committed to giving my all to make you proud and represent the USA with utmost dedication.”
Reflecting on her career, she added, “My skating journey has taken me to unexpected places, but it all began for me in the United States. I am grateful for the experiences I’ve had in my career and look forward to what Danil and I can achieve together.”
Despite facing challenges leading up to her long-awaited Olympic debut, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps finished in 11th place at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics. An incident where Stellato-Dudek hit her head on the ice during training almost derailed their participation, but she received medical clearance just in time for the event. Unfortunately, a fall during the short program dashed their hopes of contending for a medal.
Danil Siianytsia, aged 25 and originally from Dnipro, Ukraine, has been competing for the United States in pairs since 2017, most recently with Anastasiia Smirnova. Stellato-Dudek and Siianytsia will be training in Colorado Springs under the guidance of Olympic coach Drew Meekins as they prepare for the upcoming qualifying season for the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.