Canadian Pairs Shine with Top Finishes at Skate Canada International

Two Canadian pairs achieved impressive results at the 2025 Skate Canada International competition held at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on October 31, 2025. In a highly competitive short program, both teams secured spots among the top three, showcasing their skills on home ice.

The duo of Deanna Stellato-Dudek from Chicago and Maxime Deschamps from Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, claimed second place with a score of 73.03 points. Their performance was noteworthy, although it fell short of the top score earned by Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, reigning world silver medallists, who achieved 77.53 points.

“It’s always nice to skate at home in front of such an enthusiastic crowd,” said Deschamps. “Some parts of our program were better than at the Grand Prix in France, and others were not. We lost several points on one specific element, but we haven’t seen our routine yet. It’s hard to assess everything right now,” added Stellato-Dudek.

Following closely behind them, the team of Lia Pereira from Milton, Ontario, and Trennt Michaud from Trenton, Ontario, finished third with a personal best score of 70.66. Pereira expressed her excitement, stating, “This is one of the best competitions we’ve done in the short, so we’re really excited about that. We love this program and we’re really happy to showcase how we trained it at home.”

In sixth place, Kelly Ann Laurin from Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, and Loucas Éthier from Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby, Quebec, recorded a score of 59.93 in the pairs short program.

In the women’s short program, Sara-Maude Dupuis from Montreal was the top Canadian finisher, placing eighth with a score of 60.41. “I feel really great. It was the first time I performed my new routine in front of a large audience, and the crowd was simply incredible. It’s the best feeling you can have as an athlete. I’m happy with my score, and it’s very close to a personal best,” Dupuis remarked.

Other Canadian competitors included Uliana Shiryaeva of Coquitlam, British Columbia, who finished 11th with a score of 53.28, and Madeline Schizas of Oakville, Ontario, who placed 12th with a score of 48.72.

The top spot in the women’s short program went to Japan’s Mone Chiba, who achieved a score of 72.29 points, followed by the United States’ Isabeau Levito with 71.80 and Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann at 68.11.

The competition will continue on Saturday afternoon at the SaskTel Centre, featuring the rhythm dance and men’s short program, followed by the free programs for pairs and women later that evening. This event not only highlights the talent within Canadian figure skating but also serves as a platform for these athletes to prepare for future international competitions.