Canadian skaters Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud practiced to “Carmina Burana” on Wednesday in an empty arena, with the absence of Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, the original owners of the short-program music, deeply felt by their friends and teammates.
Pereira expressed sympathy for Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, who had to withdraw from the team event at the upcoming Milan Cortina Games following a training accident that jeopardized Stellato-Dudek’s participation in the individual pairs event.
Stellato-Dudek, at 42, was aiming to be the oldest female figure skater at the Olympics in nearly a century. Skate Canada’s high-performance director, Mike Slipchuk, mentioned that a final decision on her participation would ideally be made by February 10.
Meanwhile, Pereira and Michaud, who recently won their first national title, will represent Canada in the pairs event of the team competition. Madeline Schizas, the sole Canadian entry in women’s singles, expressed confidence in her teammates and acknowledged the challenging situation faced by Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps.
Five out of ten countries will advance to the team event final after the short programs, with the United States and Japan expected to lead the competition. Canadian skater Piper Gilles expressed support for Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, emphasizing the importance of health over competition.
Canada had a setback at the 2022 Olympics as well, with skater Keegan Messing missing the team event due to a positive COVID-19 test. Despite challenges, Canadian skaters remain determined to perform their best at the Milan Cortina Games.