World champion figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek has decided to return to representing the United States after competing for Canada for seven seasons. She will now join forces with Danil Siianytsia to form a new pairs partnership.
Born in Chicago and previously representing the U.S. in women’s singles over 25 years ago, Stellato-Dudek transitioned to Canada’s program in 2019 to skate alongside Maxime Deschamps. Following Deschamps’ retirement in July, Stellato-Dudek, now 43, made the decision to make a comeback with a new partner.
In 2024, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps made history by winning the world figure skating title, with Stellato-Dudek becoming the oldest woman to achieve this feat. The duo also secured the 2024 Four Continents title and three Canadian championships. After obtaining Canadian citizenship, Stellato-Dudek was able to represent Canada at the Olympics but has now expressed her eagerness to represent the USA once again.
Excited about the new partnership with Siianytsia, 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.”
Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps placed 11th at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics following a challenging lead-up to the event, where Stellato-Dudek suffered a head injury during training. Despite receiving medical clearance just days before competing, a fall during the short program dashed their medal hopes.
Siianytsia, aged 25 and originally from Dnipro, Ukraine, has been representing the United States in pairs competition since 2017, previously skating with Anastasiia Smirnova. The new duo of 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 leading to the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.