2025 Canadian National Skating Championships: Pairs

World champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps (QC) came to Laval on a reset mission following last year’s inconsistent international season. However, after an error-riddled free skate that still managed to win the Canadian title, they leave with more questions than command. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud (ON) repeated as silver medalists, but with the satisfaction of personal bests and posting the best free skate score in the event. Bronze medalists Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier (QC) rounded out the podium.

Last month, Deanna Stellato-Dudek took her Oath of Citizenship, officially becoming a Canadian citizen. This significant step paves the way for Stellato-Dudek and her partner, Maxime Deschamps, to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan.

Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps

The reigning world champions seemed to be well on their way to improving their fortunes this season when they performed their consistent and sultry short program to “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce to earn 76.31 points and lead heading into the long program. Their only obvious error was an awkward step by Stellato-Dudek following the throw triple loop. The triple twist and level four lift received high grades of execution (GOE).

“We really feel all the support from the crowd,” Deschamps said. “And that was really nice. So that was fun, and we are happy with what we did tonight. We still have some stuff to work on but yeah, a lot of good stuff.”

“I really feel like we’re starting the season over,” Stellato-Dudek added, contextualizing this competition in relation to past seasons. “That’s how I feel. I feel like we’ve metaphorically pressed control-alt-delete and now we’re restarting. So, this felt like the first competition of the year again and nationals is always nerve-racking. At least, I feel like it is in North America. So, there’s always a lot of spectators. It’s a lot of pressure, I guess, because everyone’s here watching you: family, friends, all of that. So, it was a step in the right direction.”

“Obviously, I had not done a throw that bad, like, in months,” she continued. “So that’s really irritating. But other than that, it’s pretty good. I feel like the season has started over for us because we had to pull out of the Final and we had this really long break in the middle of the season which normally never happens. Everything is like, two weeks, two weeks, two weeks, two weeks. And so, I feel like it’s been so long since we competed, it’s like you have to dust off the competition muscle. And so, I feel like we’re starting over at, like, Autumn Classic again! That’s what I feel like. It’s been almost two months for us.”

The 2024 Skate Canada champions struggled to stay afloat in their “Under the Sea” free skate to a medley of music. Gritty side-by-side jump landings and doubles, a labored landing on the throw triple Salchow, a fall on the throw triple loop, and a time violation threw a wrench in the team’s planned season reset following Deschamp’s illness and time off the ice. However, the lifts and level-four triple twist were strong, and they earned 130.75 points in the free skate to finish in Laval with 207.06 points. The 2024 Skate Canada champs finished second in the free skate, but their score in the short program saved the win.

“I’ve done clean run throughs since Max has been back, so I don’t really know,” Stellato-Dudek said, flummoxed after their skate. “I don’t really know what’s happening this year if I’m being totally honest. I don’t know how many more clean run throughs I have to do at home to do it in competition.”

“Yes, we won, but it’s not just about winning,” Deschamps said of the team’s third national title. “It’s what we put on the ice and we want to do better. We need to go back home, keep practicing and try to improve what was not as good. Of course, you have a lot of other stuff that we also have to think about.”

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud

Pereira and Michaud got off to a playful start with their charming short program set to “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Louis Prima. They managed clean side-by-side triple toe loops and a throw triple loop with a determined landing which garnered them 70.43 points. It was their first time cracking the 70s in the short program, internationally or domestically. Michaud lost his balance in the side-by-side spins, but he managed to recover.

“We have been training really well so it was nice to put that out there today,” Michaud said. “Obviously, one little bobble in the spin, but it was really good, and it was really exciting! It’s nice the sort of first nationals, obviously, in Quebec and Laval, and it was nice to have such a loud crowd and very intimate feeling crowd. That’s one of the best parts about nationals so it was really nice to have that.”

“We could both tell that each other was feeling comfortable, too,” Pereira added. “So, any little thing, even with the spin, you’re able to save it. We just feel like that’s the number one priority and the number one focus. And it helps when you’re feeling extra nervous about certain elements to just think about being in the ice.”

The team revealed new short program costumes in Laval.

“This is a new dress,” Pereira said, glowingly. “Yes, same color, but we went with a little bit more of a different design. I’ve always wanted a fringe skirt, and we felt like it matched the music pretty well. So, I am really pleased with how that turned out as well.”

“Johnny Cash black for me,” Michaud added.

The 2024 Cup of China bronze medalists secured their position as Canada’s penultimate team with a silver medal and total combined score of 204.96. The 2024 silver medalists were red hot at the start of their intense and sensual Tango free skate. A triple toe-double Axel-double Axel sequence followed by triple Salchows were spot on. Pereira fell on the throw triple loop but rebounded to stick the landing of the throw triple Salchow. They won the free skate with 134.53 points.

“We’re happy,” Pereira said. “To hit another personal best in the free with 134 and 200 overall was a huge goal for us this season. So, to accomplish that here is a real confidence boost pushing into the second half of the season. I think we’re really proud of how all the elements went. I think overall, there were some really good things. Obviously, still, you know, wanting to and would love to land the throw loop in the free, but I think we’re really proud of how we recovered out of that and the quality of elements before and after the throw loop.”

“This week, we focused on our training sessions coming in and focused on the elements and everything, but really focused on the performance part,” Michaud added.

The duo keenly anticipates their next competitions.

“Being able to carry the momentum that we’ve been carrying, like from China into this and keep pushing from this,” Michaud said of their plans. “[Here, were] some good scores and some great skates and there are lots of things to still improve on. We’re just going to keep rolling with that heading into Four Continents and into Boston for Worlds to qualify for Olympic spots.”

Besting the world champions in the free skate was sugary sweet.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Michaud. “We’re pushing for this. This is what we want to do; to be pushing them and we can do that. It obviously just shows that we’re in the right place. I think we push them, and they push us to be stronger. To have two really strong Canadian teams near the top at a bunch of events is huge. That’s what brings more people to want to skate and that’s what I hope to inspire. We’re competitive people.”

Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier

Laurin and Éthier electrified the crowd with their clean short program set to “Separate Ways (from Stranger Things)” by Journey and Steve Perry. Solid side-by-side triple Salchows and a throw triple loop earned the team 63.10 points to finish the preliminary event in third place.

“Today was really, really fun and actually insanely loud,” Éthier said. “I mean, I’m not gonna say it was as much at Worlds, but honestly, it was really, really close with a lot less people. The crowd was amazing, and we really felt good! We wanted to put on a show, honestly.”

Last year’s bronze medalists performed a crowd-pleasing, energetic free skate to “Elevation” by U2 earning 124.19 points to finish in Laval with a score of 187.29. To wild cheers, they landed a triple Salchow-single Axel-double Axel sequence and triple loops (with an underrotation). Their only noticeable mistake was a step out on the throw triple Salchow.

“We feel good,” Laurin said. “We are happy about our skate today. There was a little mistake here and there, but overall, we are happy about what we did today, and it was really fun.”

“We felt like the crowd wanted a show and I think we gave a good show,” Éthier added. “It was a bit messy here and there. We know we can still do better, but I think that’s extra motivating because we got a really good score. But we know that we can easily get more points. I haven’t looked at the protocol super precisely. We know we can do better on little things, but I think the big tricks were there and we can easily build off of that for the second half of the season.”

In their first national championships together, Fiona Bombardier and Benjamin Mimar (ON) finished in fourth place with 170.63 points. Juniors-turned-seniors Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher (ON) earned 158.54 points to place fifth, followed by Cristina Lyons and Marty Haubrich (ON) (140.38).

Related Info:

• Full Results
• Competition Threads

The post Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps hit ‘reset’ with third national title appeared first on Golden Skate.