Deanna Stellato-Dudek injured pre-Olympics - news & updates

[Sylvia]

I thought this horrible news needed its own thread (first reported in the Canadian Pairs news thread) :

https://twitter.com/x/status/2018391767427551579

Feb. 2nd statement: https://olympic.ca/press/team-canada-update/

"Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps will not be competing in the figure skating team event due to an injury sustained by Stellato-Dudek that occurred during training in Quebec.

Stellato-Dudek’s condition and readiness for the individual pairs event is being assessed on a day-by-day basis. Athlete health and safety is our number one priority. We will share more information as it becomes available."

https://x.com/Devin_Heroux/status/2018392902905299345

At 42 years old Deanna Stellato-Dudek had worked extremely hard to prepare for the Olympics
And she was on track to make her debut in Milan with partner Max Deschamps
Injured during a training session. Out of team event. And now questionable for their Pairs event at the Olympics

Pairs SP is on Sunday, February 15, 2026.

 

[Finnice]

Oh no! So sorry for them.

 

[Karen-W]

Pairs SP is on Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Pairs SP draw is Friday, Feb 13th, so that's the last possible day for the 1st alternates (Laurin/Ethier) to be swapped in should Deanna's injury make it impossible for them to compete.

 

[CarolineBingley]

..... I hope it's something she can overcome quickly at least for the Pairs event itself.

 

[Hedwig]

oh no, I am so sorry for them. How devastating.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Oh no.. poor Deanna and Max.

 

[peibeck]

I'm glad they are being wise and making sure her health is the priority even though this is a devastating development. So many skaters try and press through injuries and risk or actually end up making things worse.

 

[skatfan]

Crap. What an awful turn of events. At least Canada wasn't a favorite for a team medal, but still...

Hope she can recover in time.

 

[Desperado]

That’s heartbreaking.

It feels like they’re hoping against hope here, but I’ll still cross my fingers that they make it.

 

[Lanie]

I am so upset for Deanna and Max. I hope she is okay.

 

[Firedancer]

I’m so sad for them. I hope she is ok

 

[overedge]

This is really sad
Although I'm wondering if she was, or both of them were, dealing with some kind of injury already, given their LP performance at Canadians.

 

[honey]

This is really sad
Although I'm wondering if she was, or both of them were, dealing with some kind of injury already, given their LP performance at Canadians.

It really sounds like this happened very recently. Devin Heroux just tweeted that it happened during one of their last practices before they were to leave.

That said, I also think there were likely some underlying issues all season. But nothing as serious as whatever this is clearly.

There would seem like it would be a narrow list of things that would make someone a no go to skate 5 days from now and still have it be possible to skate in 13 days from now. Hoping for them that they can make it, but it seems very questionable to me. And it’s heartbreaking for them both.

 

[skategal]

I'm a little hopeful as if it was something like breaking a leg/foot/arm or ACL/Meniscus/Achilles tear, they would have to announce a withdrawal now.

Soft tissue injuries/bruises/strains/concussion (my guess is concussion) can improve alot in two weeks.

Maybe I'm delusional....but I'm crossing my fingers and toes.

The alternative is too heartbreaking to think about right now.

Gutted for Deanna and Max.

 

[kwanette]

I am so sad for them.

 

[Miezekatze]

Oh no!

 

[Lara]

Gutted for them.

 

[coppertop1]

They're still in Canada and being assessed. I don't want to be alarmist but it doesn't look good

 

[HeatherC]

Keeping all my fingers and toes crossed and praying that Deanna and Max are able to skate in the pairs event later on. What a horrible turn of events if after all that work and all these years, they don't even get a chance to have their Olympics experience.

 

[Excidra]

This is the news that I was dreading. I have been visiting Fsuniverse daily for the past week, hoping nothing like this would be reported.

I feel so sad for them. Deanna waited two decades for her Olympic experience and now it's almost here the plan could torpedoed. I am praying for a quick recovery and for them to realize their Olympic dream.

 

[Hindernisse]

This could be one of the biggest heartbreaks of these Games if they have to withdraw. Keeping my fingers crossed for them.

 

[paskatefan]

Gutted for Deanna & Maxime, but hoping she's be OK for the pairs event. Health has to come first though.

 

[Sylvia]

I haven't yet watched Olympics.com's "Deanna's Dream" documentary - linked here in 2 parts: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/deannas-dream.113524/#post-6875135
Now I'm not sure I can.

Rob Brodie's Substack post today:

Olympics 2026: A 'nightmare' moment on the road to a dream

Deanna Stellato-Dudek's injury has put one of the Winter Games' biggest and best stories on hold. Now the clock is ticking to get to make it happen

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

Excerpt (edited in corrected version):

The good news, if there is any, in all of this is that for the second straight Olympics, pairs is not the first event out of the chute after the Team Event concludes on Sunday (the ice dance and men’s events are in the leadoff position in Milan. Pairs has often been the first event in the past). The pairs competition does not begin until Feb. 15, which gives Stellato-Dudek an extra week to work on getting the injury good to go (and if you know anything about her, you know full well she will attack that recovery in a relentless manner).
The draw for the pairs short program is Feb. 13, so that’s basically the deadline for Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps to make a final decision, although it’ll likely come a few days before that. The third-place finishers at nationals, Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier, are on standby as replacements if it has to come to that.

 

[Karen-W]

I haven't yet watched Olympics.com's "Deanna's Dream" documentary - linked here in 2 parts: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/deannas-dream.113524/#post-6875135
Now I'm not sure I can.

Rob Brodie's Substack post today:

Olympics 2026: A 'nightmare' moment on the road to a dream

Deanna Stellato-Dudek's injury has put one of the Winter Games' biggest and best stories on hold. Now the clock is ticking to get to make it happen

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

I can't.

The good news, if there is any, in all of this is that for the first in memory, pairs is not the first event out of the chute after the Team Event concludes on Sunday

Seriously. Just at the last Winter Olympics, pairs was the last event because China's strongest discipline was pairs with Sui/Han coming in as the reigning Olympic silver medalists.

 

[Sylvia]

I can't.

Then don't. Journalists will make mistakes and I'm sure it will be corrected. ETA: It's been corrected.

Sort-of-on-topic? Lindsey Vonn, 41, just gave a press conference today to say that she plans to compete in the women's downhill on Sunday in spite of her torn ACL.

 

[Karen-W]

Then don't. Journalists will make mistakes and I'm sure it will be corrected.

Nah, I'm not cutting him any slack. He routinely writes about figure skating on his substack. If he was some Sports Illustrated or ESPN hack who only covers figure skating every four years, sure, he made a mistake, but this is someone who presents himself as a reasonably tapped in reporter of the sport.

 

[Sylvia]

https://x.com/Devin_Heroux/status/2018734763104997854
Deanna Stellato-Dudek update just now from Skate Canada’s Mike Slipchuk.

He says injury occurred during training “accident”, no specifics on what injury is

A decision on ether or not Deanna and Max will compete at the Olympics will need to be made around the Feb. 9-11 timeframe

https://x.com/Devin_Heroux/status/2018740630604992963
A final decision on whether or not Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Max Deschamps will compete at the Olympics will be made by the Team Canada medical staff.

That decision will be made within the next week.

 

[text_skate]

I keep all my fingers crossed, and toes, whenever possible. I want them at the Olys, SP and FS, in a healthy enough state. For me it doesn't matter if they end up last. Of course I hope for a top result.

 

[danafan]

This was posted a few minutes ago.

Canada's Olympic Network on Instagram: "@mackenziebarwell got the latest on Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s injury status from @drheroux"

28 likes, 0 comments - cbcolympics on February 3, 2026: "@mackenziebarwell got the latest on Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s injury status from @drheroux".

www.instagram.com

 

[Karen-W]

This was posted a few minutes ago.

Canada's Olympic Network on Instagram: "@mackenziebarwell got the latest on Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s injury status from @drheroux"

28 likes, 0 comments - cbcolympics on February 3, 2026: "@mackenziebarwell got the latest on Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s injury status from @drheroux".

www.instagram.com

I don't remember where I saw it, but there's a rumor floating around that the training accident happened during a lift. If that's accurate, combined with Deanna NOT having skated since the training accident last Friday & Max still continuing to train alone, I'm wondering if we're looking at a concussion injury here.