Deanna Stellato-Dudek, the 2024 world champion figure skater who competed for Canada, is returning to represent the United States after seven seasons with the Canadian program. The 43-year-old Chicago native announced she will form a new pairs partnership with Danil Siianytsia.

Stellato-Dudek initially represented the United States in women’s singles more than two decades ago before switching to the Canadian program in 2019. She teamed up with Maxime Deschamps, with whom she achieved significant success. The pair won the gold medal at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships, making Stellato-Dudek the oldest woman ever to claim a world title in the sport at age 40. They also secured the 2024 Four Continents title and three Canadian national championships. Following these achievements, Stellato-Dudek obtained Canadian citizenship, enabling her to compete for Canada at the Olympic Games.

The duo made their Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing in 11th place. This marked Stellato-Dudek’s long-awaited first appearance at the Olympics after a career spanning more than two decades.

Her new partner, Danil Siianytsia, 25, was born in Dnipro, Ukraine, and has represented the United States in pairs skating since 2017. Prior to joining Stellato-Dudek, Siianytsia competed most recently with Anastasiia Smirnova. The pair’s new collaboration signals a fresh chapter for both skaters as they prepare to compete under the U.S. banner once again.