Figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek called 'inspiration' for something rarely seen at Olympics

Deanna Stellato-Dudek has been hailed as 'awe-inspiring' after making her pairs figure skating debut yesterday at the Winter Olympics, and breaking a major record in doing so.

The American-Canadian represented Team Canada in Milan on Sunday (15 Feb), as she and partner Maxime Deschamps performed a near-perfect routine to 'Carmina Burana', by Carl Orff.

A fault during the exit of a reverse lasso lift placed the pair in 14th place, which thankfully secured them a place in the incoming free skate.

Just two weeks prior to Stellato-Dudek's performance, the athlete sustained a head injury whilst training in Quebec on 30 January.

She'd hit her head in a cataclysmic fall, after which she and Deschamps, 34, were forced to withdraw from the team event.

The former World Champion was able to make what medics described as a 'remarkable recovery', however, and with their approval, she was permitted to fly to Italy earlier this week, landing just in time for the pair's tournament.

Stellato-Dudek initially retired in 2001 (Tang Xinyu/VCG via Getty Images)

Stellato-Dudek told Reuters following her arrival into Milan: "The last week and a half has been a living nightmare that I would not wish on anybody.

"But when I set out on this journey in 2016, not one person told me I would make it to the Olympics - to know me is to know that I wasn’t going down without a fight."

In light of her injury, she and Deschamps made the decision to remove a backflip they'd planned from their routine, with the sportswoman explaining: "Obviously, we don’t want to do anything that’s going to hinder the rest of my life in terms of my health.

"So we just wanted to take out any unnecessary risk."

It wasn't just Stellato-Dudek's last-minute recovery that blew away spectators, however, but the fact that she's the oldest woman to compete in Olympic figure skating since 1928.

Aged 42, the Olympian previously announced a 16-year hiatus from the sport she once loved.

The pair placed 14th (Elsa/Getty Images)

In 2001, whilst embarking on an impressive career as a single skater, and after bagging a world junior silver medal for the United States, she sustained a series of injuries that prompted her withdrawal from the 2001 US Championships.

Her poor health also forced Stellato-Dudek into an early retirement, after which she abandoned skating for 16 years.

In 2016, however, she suddenly became inspired to dust off her skates, and soon enough, she was partnered with Deschamps.

The two went on to win the 2024 World Championship, with Stellato-Dudek telling press of their partnership: "It was pretty clear from the beginning there was something special there. We’ve always had to work, we feel, twice as hard as everybody else to get the same result.

"It was pretty kismet from the start.”

Picking figure skating back up quickly enough to compete this year, however, has been considered something of a marvel, particularly in a discipline that so highly favours youth.

The Canadian endured a fall yesterday (Antonin THUILLIER / AFP via Getty Images)

The last woman to achieve such a feat, was Finland’s Ludowika Jakobsson, who competed in 1928 at age 43.

As such, following her performance yesterday, a number of fans have since praised Stellato-Dudek's bravery and drive online.

"I feel so bad for Deanna Stellato Dudek," one wrote following her latest tumble. "They were doing so well until the end. Massive kudos to her for even competing at 42."

Another gushed: "In awe of Deanna Stellato-Dudek Canadian pairs skater 42 years old & competing women can do hard & amazing things you go, Deanna so proud of you!"

A third added: "Deanna Stellato-Dudek skating pairs at 42 is so inspiring to me….I have two more Olympics to get back into skating and find a partner who jumps clockwise and get over my fear of lifts."

Following the fall, the athlete told Olympic Channel: "I was pretty proud of our performance until the lift. That’s actually one of the elements we’re the strongest at, so that was really disappointing.

Stellato-Dudek has since been praised by fans (JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)

"That was a massive point loss."

She went on to emphasise, however: "I hope that people learn to never limit themselves. The only limits are the ones that you put on yourself.

"Keep pursuing whatever you want, ignore the haters, and love what comes to you. Pursue that and don’t listen to anyone else."

• Skater gives update from hospital after face slashed with blade during Winter Olympics race
• Jake Paul's fiancée Jutta Leerdam fuels heated debate for 'unnecessary' move at Olympics
• Why Lindsey Vonn was allowed to compete at Olympics despite painful injury
• Why there's so much sex at Olympics after Winter games face condom crisis