OLYMPICS: Figure skating-Stellato-Dudek proud after making long-awaited Olympic debut

MILAN — Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s long journey to the Olympics reached its peak in Milan on Sunday, as the Canadian skater became the oldest person to compete in figure skating at a Games in nearly 100 years.

At 42, Stellato-Dudek stepped away from competitive skating for 16 years before returning in 2016. Since her comeback, she captured the 2024 world title in pairs with partner Maxime Deschamps.

“I’m always really happy to represent Millennials and women in their 40s,” she told reporters. “We’re constantly underestimated and always told no. When I started, there wasn’t one person who told me I could achieve this.”

She added, “The fact that I persevered and made it here, I hope it gives others the courage to pursue something in their lives, even when people are against them.”

The milestone, however, came with a setback. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps suffered an unexpected fall late in their program, finishing with 66.04 points and placing 14th ahead of Monday’s free skate, where 16 teams will compete for medals.

“It was a complete surprise because it had never happened even in practice,” Stellato-Dudek said of the fall, which occurred on the exit of the reverse lasso lift.

“But I think we recovered well. I’m proud of our performance considering everything we’ve been through before that mistake. We’re one of the best lifters in the world, so it was unfortunate to have that error because that’s usually where we gain points, not lose them.”

Stellato-Dudek’s Olympic debut was further complicated after a head injury in training late last month, casting doubt on her participation and forcing her to miss the team event last week.

Despite Sunday’s setback, Deschamps said they would quickly refocus ahead of the free skate.

“It’s a new day tomorrow,” he said. “We’re proud of everything we’ve done. The mistake was unfortunate, but we’ll go out there again, enjoy the moment, skate as a team, and make the most of the experience.”

-Reporting by Rory Carroll in Milan; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters