World champions take on Skate Canada 2024

October 25, 2024
By Reut Golinsky
Photo © Reut Golinsky, International Skating Union (ISU)

The ISU Challenger Series is gaining popularity among top skaters, who see these early events as a chance to test their new programs in front of an audience and judges. While maintaining their smaller, "homey" feel, some challengers are evolving into prestigious competitions, boasting lineups that could rival any Grand Prix event. For journalists, it's a golden opportunity to catch up with the current skating stars in a relaxed setting, where skaters have more time to answer questions. This article is a compilation of mixed zone interviews with reigning World champions Ilia Malinin, Deanna Stellato-Dudek, and Maxime Deschamps, who are competing this weekend at Skate Canada in Halifax. They discuss their programs, reflect on their new status as World champions, and more.

Ilia Malinin

Ilia Malinin opened his season at the Lombardia Trophy with two solid programs, breaking the 300-point barrier in total score. "I needed some competition earlier in the season to see where I was at, what I could work on, and what things I might need to change," he explained. "But I enjoy coming to Italy, even if it's just for shows - it's always a lot of fun. There are so many cool places, interesting architecture, and beautiful buildings.
It's a weird feeling getting back into that competition mindset and the form I need to be in when I'm competing. But I'm really glad I came here, and the support I got from the crowd was valuable - it really helped me get through my programs. It was exciting to perform in front of everyone."

In Bergamo, Ilia premiered his two new programs, both choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne - the short to "RUNNING" by NF and the free skate to "I'm Not a Vampire" by Falling In Reverse. "This year, I really wanted to bring more creativity and artistry into my skating - to push outside the box. I focused on getting my knees working, going lower, and adding intricate body movements and shapes," he elaborated.

"Skating to music I love helps me stay in the moment, get into that zone, and perform my best. I just love this song! NF is one of my favourite artists - he also sings "HOPE," which I used for an exhibition program. I really wanted to use his music, and Shae-Lynn (Bourne) had a cool idea for it.

Looking back at last season's programs, they were definitely some of the best I've had in my whole career. I knew it would be tough to top them, so we took our time finding the right music without rushing. We experimented with a few ideas before deciding what I wanted to do. Even on the first day of working with Shae-Lynn, we hadn't settled on the short program. We spent the entire day playing with different pieces of music and improvising choreography. In the end, I chose this one because it resonated with me, and I felt a strong connection to it. In terms of concept and idea, with polishing and refining the small details, I think it can top last year's short program.

The story of this program is about something holding my character back from fulfilling his potential - something he can't let go of. He's trying to push it away and free himself so he can move forward with life. It's not something specific, but I can relate to it. In the past, I was so focused on nailing my jumps that I was afraid to explore different directions. I didn't know what I was capable of, I thought I'd reached my limit, but over the years, I realised I could go further. I understood I had to stop holding back and being afraid. Yes, sometimes something may look stupid or weird to some people, but if you get the idea and perfect it, you can really create something unique. Over time, I've started feeling more comfortable being myself and really pushing that out.

The concept behind my free skate is, in a way, similar to my short program. My character has this really bad, dark part of him that he wants to escape from. Toward the end of the program, when I lie down on the ice, that's supposed to symbolise the bad energy leaving him, allowing him to be reborn as a new person. Both programs share a similar idea of something holding my character back. In the short, it's someone else; in the free, it's something inside him - bad energy, an addiction, or a habit he's trying to get rid of.

When I listened to this song, I immediately knew there were a few parts that could fit well with my skating, parts I could really express. Some of the lyrics might be a little disturbing, though. But this year, I wanted to try something a bit outside the box - something more dramatic and theatrical. That was actually the goal: to dive into that creepy, spooky style. I listened to it multiple times to understand how I should present it on the ice and what I could potentially add to the program."

We didn't see Ilia's famous quad Axel, but he had another surprise in store for his free skate: "I've been looking forward to doing the backflip for a few years now. I originally wanted to learn it just for shows, but after hearing it's allowed this year, it gave me the chance to try incorporating it into a program and see how people would react."

Ilia's record-setting, mind-blowing free skate at Worlds 2024 was a moment certain to be immortalised in the sport's history. How does someone, after reaching such heights, find the motivation to keep going? How do they stay grounded and continue working hard in the off-season? "I approach it with the mindset that I can always do more; there's always another level to reach," he explained. "There's no mental limit to how far I can push myself, and I always try to set a new goal. Once I achieve that goal, I try to step it up and see what's next. It's about not focusing on a limit but really trying to push yourself and improve each season. That's how I approach it. I always look at what people say, seek feedback from other coaches, choreographers, just to see what I can work on in the next season and focus on that. That's how I feel I've been improving.

After that free skate at Worlds, there were a lot of people who were surprised and shocked. The first time I watched it, I wasn't sure if people really felt that way. To me, it didn't feel like what others described - it felt like a normal skate. But after watching it a few more times, I began to understand, 'Oh, this is why.' Over time, I really felt that too, and it helped me realise that I was the World champion. Right after the free skate, I was thinking, 'This doesn't feel real.'"

As other Worlds medallists, Adam Siao Him Fa and Yuma Kagiyama, were seeded for their home Grand Prix events in France and Japan, Ilia chose to compete at back-to-back Skate America and Skate Canada out of the remaining options: "Finland's a bit too late and China is really hard with the travel, so I just stuck with Canada to get those [competitions] out of the way, and then I can focus on working towards the Grand Prix Final."

Team Japan skaters will be among Ilia's main rivals this season. He competed against Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato at the Lombardia Trophy. He edged out Kao Miura to lead at the 2024 Skate America, though it was a close call. This weekend in Halifax, he'll face off against Shun Sato and Sota Yamamoto. "I'm very much looking forward to competing with all of them. I have a fun time when I get to meet them. Of course, there's the language barrier, but it's always so fun to skate with them and enjoy times off the ice as well." Ilia was also full of praise when asked specifically about Yuma: "I really liked his [free skate] program, it's an interesting piece and it reminds me of my short program last year. Of course, it's the beginning of the season and there's always work to do, but I truly think that this free skate of his can be something spectacular, and that the American crowd [at Worlds 2025] would love it. And his short program as well. You know, when I came to 'Dreams on Ice' and saw his short program for the first time, I was amazed, I was just blown away by it. The way he moves, the way he covers the ice, his skating skills - it's just amazing."

When you're in Italy talking to skaters, you can't help but ask about the fast-approaching Milano Cortina 2026 Games. "It is starting to get in there," Ilia admitted. "But I try not to think about it too much because I know it could be a lot of pressure and might throw me off my training. But it's still in the back of my mind and, obviously, the plan I'm following is leading up to the Olympics."

Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps

Deanna and Maxime decided to start their season in Oberstdorf, a place they both love to compete. "We love the Nebelhorn Trophy, we love this town," Maxime said. "As I say about Oberstdorf: it's frozen in time, except the shopping is always up to date," Deanna joked. "And apparently, we have a lot of German fans! I received letters that were mailed to Skate Canada - people asking for signed autographs - and they were all from Germany! I thought that was quite incredible, right? It's so cool! But now, of course, I feel pressure to do well when I come here."

The short program draw wasn't in their favour, and they had to open the pairs competition. "I was so disappointed when I drew first," Deanna admitted. "Every skater knows it's the biggest disadvantage to skate first in an event. But I thought, 'Okay, it doesn't change what I have to do.' Still, I would have liked to know what our score would have been if we'd skated later."
"But overall, it's our first competition since Worlds, which was the high point of our career, so being able to go out and put that program out there felt good," Maxime said, summing up their experience.

The idea behind the music choice and theme for their short program to "Crazy In Love" by Beyoncé was Deanna's. "I chose it for two reasons. First, the Worlds is in America, and Beyoncé is an iconic American artist. Second, there's a lot of focus on my age, which is understandable, and I get it. But I wanted to lean into that because it makes us unique. I wanted to offer something that a younger team wouldn't be able to give, which is sensuality on the ice. I'm not afraid to get close to Maxime or to act like I'm in love. I've been in love; I've been heartbroken - I know what those feelings are. Our goal is to portray this on the ice in a way that no other team can, because of our ages."

Deanna's exquisite short program dress was designed by the team's coach Josée Picard and Alexa Knierim (American pair skater, the 2022 World champion with Brandon Frazier - ed). "She is the one who always helps with my costumes," Deanna revealed. "Me, I just like Chanel, other than that I got nothing! 'Elite Xpression' are the ones who made these costumes, and Maggie (Dubé) is the dressmaker but Alexa and Josée designed them."

"For our free skate, we wanted to create a theme again this year," Deanna continued, "but we wanted to be more original and do something that was just Maxime and me, rather than following a book or a movie like we did last year (when they had "Interview with the Vampire" free skate - ed). The story is that Maxime is called to the ocean, and I represent all the water - I am the ocean, taking him through this underwater world and showing him all the beauty and all the danger. He wants to stay with me, and I embrace him in the underwater world."

Finally fulfilling one of their dreams and becoming World champions added both feelings of validation and pressure, they agreed. "But also, this experience of winning the World Championships will stay with us forever," Maxime clarified. "We're not trying to defend our title now. We earned it; it's ours. Now we want to win a new one, and we're going to attack to get it. We will work for it and take it step by step, as we do every year, trying to build ourselves up and improve what we can for each competition, achieving all our objectives. That's your goal."

"This was already better than our first event last year at this time," Deanna added. "It's really exciting to have that title and know that it's always yours, but it also adds a little bit of pressure when the events begin, because, you know, everyone is looking at you."

Their lives were not drastically changed after winning the title, they say. "I think that's becoming more apparent now, actually," Deanna said. "In a way, after Worlds, we forgot about it; we went to Japan and did shows there, and then the new season began. Unlike in any other sport, in skating there's really no off-season - you have around two weeks out of the whole year. I get less time off now than I did when I had a normal nine-to-five job.
So, we went to a local competition in Quebec, and everybody was looking at me. I said to Maxime, 'Do I have food on my face? Is there something wrong with my outfit?' He answered, 'No, they all were at Worlds, and that's why they are looking at you now!' And then I said, 'Oh, yeah! I forgot!' I just forgot, we had already moved on; it's the next season."
"Also, it was just a step towards Diana's long-term objective," Maxime explained.
"Now the two-year journey to the Olympics begins," Deanna concluded.

An important milestone on that road would be getting Canadian citizenship for Deanna. "Hopefully, there's some magic happening in Canada right now because I would like to have it before the other athletes who received it for the [previous] Olympics. They got it around December of the year before. It would be nice to have it now. It's an extra bit of stress, so I'd like it to be resolved earlier."


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