Sun Mar 30 00:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Canadian Figure Skating Pair Finishes Fifth at World Championships
**Boston, MA** – Defending world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps finished fifth at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, failing to defend their title. While disappointed to miss the podium, the pair expressed relief and a positive outlook for the future.
Stellato-Dudek attributed the pressure of being defending champions as a significant challenge, stating that the expectation to win added a new layer of difficulty. Despite a disappointing seventh-place finish in the short program, the pair delivered a strong free skate, ultimately scoring 199.76 points. Their performance was not enough to overcome the strong performances from the leading teams, however. Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara claimed gold, with Germany and Italy taking silver and bronze respectively.
Stellato-Dudek’s recent Canadian citizenship secured her eligibility for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, providing added motivation for the pair. Deschamps cited illness and injuries as factors contributing to their subpar performance this season, adding that they are “really hungry” to reclaim top form next year.
The result has implications for Canada’s Olympic qualification. Canada’s top two pairs teams failed to achieve the combined ranking needed to secure three provisional pairs spots for the 2026 Winter Games.
On the men’s side, Canada’s Roman Sadovsky finished 15th in the short program, securing at least one men’s spot for Canada at the Olympics. He will compete in the free skate on Saturday with a chance to earn a second spot for Canada. American Ilia Malinin leads the men’s competition after a stunning short program.
The World Championships continue Friday with the rhythm dance and women’s free program. Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are aiming for gold in the ice dance, while Madeline Schizas currently sits sixth in the women’s competition.
First Piper 