Canada's Stellato-Dudek, Deschamps seventh after world figure skating short program

BOSTON - Canadian pair Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps have a steep hill to climb if they hope to repeat as world figure skating champions.

Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps placed seventh in the short program Wednesday night in Boston.

Skating to a remix of Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love,” the duo scored 67.32 points in an imperfect skate. Stellato-Dudek stepped out of a throw triple loop and they were not synchronized in a side-by-side combination spin, among other minor errors at TD Garden.

“It just felt a little off, but not like that bad. But everything’s pretty tight here, so you gotta be on your game,” Stellato-Dudek said. “It’s a learning experience. It’s not going to go right all the time.

“Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn.”

Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara ranked first with 76.57 points, ahead of Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (74.61) and Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (73.59).

The free program is Thursday night.

Last year, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps tallied a personal-best 77.48 in the short program at worlds to give themselves the lead and a 3.95-point cushion heading into the free skate.

The Canadians triumphed with a spectacular performance to capture gold on home ice in Montreal.

Then 40, Stellato-Dudek also became the oldest woman to win a world title in any figure skating discipline.

This season hasn’t gone as smoothly. Unable to deliver two clean programs in a single competition, the pair's season-best total score of 210.92 is well below their personal best of 221.56.

Deschamps' illness forced them out of the Grand Prix Final in December, while Stellato-Dudek dealt with several minor injuries.

“This year has been a tough year, and everybody told us that it would be, but we didn’t understand it until we lived it,” Stellato-Dudek said. “I don’t think we’re out for the count, this year or next year. I just think we have to go back to the drawing board and maybe restructure our process.”

Stellato-Dudek is a U.S.-born skater who partnered in 2019 with Deschamps, a 33-year-old from Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

She became a Canadian citizen in December, allowing her to compete for the country at next year’s Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

Despite the challenges Wednesday, Deschamps said he and Stellato-Dudek were confident heading into the competition.

“Everything was going so well, until the performance,” he said.

Stellato-Dudek, however, revealed she forgot her dress at their hotel and nearly took the ice in “joggers.”

“Got it in the nick of time. Right before we went out I just changed real quick,” she said. “I hoped it would arrive because I’m gonna look ridiculous if I’m out there in sweats, but it’s not an excuse or anything for today.”

Lia Pereira of Milton, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., placed 10th (63.28) after Pereira fell on their throw triple loop.

Kelly Ann Laurin of St-Jerome, Que., and Loucas Ethier of Deux-Montagnes, Que., were 12th (62.30).

Earlier Wednesday, Alysa Liu of the U.S. won the women’s short program ahead of Japan’s Mone Chiba and American teammate Isabeau Levito.

Madeline Schizas of Oakville, Ont., posted a season-best 69.18 to rank sixth after delivering a clean skate to her “Lion King” program.

The result put her in position to help Canada secure two quota spots for the 2026 Winter Games — another important aspect of this year’s worlds.

Schizas secured one entry for Italy by qualifying for Friday’s free skate. She’ll need to finish in the top 10 to earn her country a second provisional spot in the women’s event.

The 22-year-old placed 12th in the 2022 world championships for her best result. She was 18th last year in Montreal.

“I came in really confident,” Schizas said. “I felt a little bit nervous because I had a weird fall on one of my jumps in the run-through of the short program yesterday here, so I was a little nervous from that, but I knew if I just focused I was gonna be able to pull it out.

“I’m happy that we have one (Olympic) spot qualified now, and I’m hoping to make it two after the free skate.”

In pairs, Canada’s top two teams must combine for a placement of 13 or lower to secure three provisional spots.

Competition continues Thursday with the men’s short program and pairs free skate. The event ends with the men’s free program Saturday night.

The world championships are hosted by the Skating Club of Boston in mourning as it grieves the death of six members Jan. 29, when an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter near Washington, D.C.

An emotional ceremony was held before the pairs short program to remember the 67 lives lost, including 28 skaters, coaches and family members who were returning home from the 2025 U.S. figure skating championships in Wichita, Kan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.