Figure Skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek Makes Olympic Debut at 42

Veteran skater becomes one of the oldest to compete in the Olympics in the last century

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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Deanna Stellato-Dudek, a 42-year-old figure skater, is making history by becoming one of the oldest competitors to make their Olympic debut in the last century. Stellato-Dudek is competing in the pairs event for Canada's Olympic team with partner Maxime Deschamps. Despite a fall in their short program, the pair qualified for the free skate and hope to inspire other older athletes to pursue their Olympic dreams.

Why it matters

Stellato-Dudek's Olympic debut at 42 challenges the common perception that figure skating is a sport dominated by younger athletes. Her remarkable comeback story after retiring in 2001 and returning to competition in 2016 demonstrates the determination and resilience of older athletes. Her success could pave the way for more older skaters and winter Olympians to compete at the highest level.

The details

Stellato-Dudek, a former world champion, sustained a head injury in a recent practice fall that had her and Deschamps unsure if they would even compete at the Milan Cortina Games. However, they qualified for the free skate despite a fluke fall by Stellato-Dudek in their short program. Stellato-Dudek's comeback began in 2016 when she answered a question at a work retreat about what she would do if she couldn't fail, and she said she would win an Olympic gold medal. This prompted her to return to the ice and begin skating pairs, eventually teaming up with Deschamps. The pair won the world title in 2024, making Stellato-Dudek the oldest woman to win a world title in any figure skating discipline.

  • Stellato-Dudek retired from competition in 2001.
  • Stellato-Dudek returned to skating in 2016.
  • Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps won the world title in 2024.
  • Stellato-Dudek made her Olympic debut at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

The players

Deanna Stellato-Dudek

A 42-year-old figure skater competing in the pairs event for Canada's Olympic team, making her one of the oldest figure skaters to make an Olympic debut in the last century.

Maxime Deschamps

Stellato-Dudek's pairs partner, with whom she won the world title in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like I'm going 100 miles per hour going down the highway. I hope that people learn to never limit themselves. The only limits are the ones that you put on yourself.”

— Deanna Stellato-Dudek (Olympics.com)

“Since we arrived here and we saw the Olympic rings, like, we've taken a bunch of photographs, and I've cried before every one, so I've looked hideous in every picture I've taken. When I set out on this journey in 2016, not one person told me I would make it to the Olympics, and I thought I would be there at – god, 34, and I'm 42. So to know me is to know that I wasn't going to go down without a fight.”

— Deanna Stellato-Dudek (Associated Press)

“I'm always really happy to represent for the millennials and the women in their 40s. You know, we're constantly underestimated, and we're constantly told no, and there's not one person that told me that I could achieve this when I started.”

— Deanna Stellato-Dudek (NBC Olympics)

What’s next

Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps will compete in the pairs free skate on February 18th, where they hope to improve on their 14th-place standing after the short program.

The takeaway

Deanna Stellato-Dudek's Olympic debut at 42 years old shatters the stereotype that figure skating is a young person's sport. Her remarkable comeback story and determination to achieve her Olympic dream despite numerous setbacks and doubters serves as an inspiration for older athletes to pursue their athletic goals, no matter their age.