MILAN (AP) — Former world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada will compete in the individual pairs event at the Milan Cortina Olympics after Stellato-Dudek's head injury forced them to withdraw from last weekend's figure skating team event.

“I want to thank everyone for their concern and support. I’ve been working closely with the medical team, and feel ready and excited to compete,” Stellato-Dudek said in a statement Tuesday night. “My priority right now is skating my best.”

Stellato-Dudek was hurt when her head hit the ice during a training session in Quebec on Jan. 30, exactly one week before the opening ceremony of the Winter Games. They withdrew from the team event three days later, and Skate Canada said the U.S.-born Stellato-Dudek had been closely monitored and completed all of the required medical evaluations.

“Athlete health and safety remain our top priority,” Skate Canada said in a statement, “and the decision to compete was made under the guidance of medical professionals. Stellato-Dudek is feeling well and is looking forward to taking the ice.”

The pairs short program at the Milan Cortina Games is Sunday. The free skate is the following night.

The 42-year-old Stellato-Dudek, who was born in the Chicago suburbs, has represented Canada since teaming up with Deschamps before the 2019 season. The three-time Canadian champions won the world title in 2024 and were fifth last year in Boston, and they are considered podium contenders in their first Winter Games together.

Trennt Michaud and Lia Pereira performed both of their pairs programs in the team event for Canada, which finished in fifth.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

MILAN (AP) — The organizing committee for the Milan Cortina Olympics is apologizing for the surface of the podium used at the Milano Ice Skating Arena that caused minor damage to the blades of figure skaters celebrating their team medals last weekend.

Several of the athletes, including Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the gold medal-winning U.S. team, reported nicks and blemishes from the anti-slip surface. Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, whose team took silver, was among those who noticed it right away, skating away from the podium to check on her blades while simultaneously celebrating her medal.

Japan eventually lodged a formal complaint about the abrasive nature of the podium.

The organizers said that they were “taking steps to replace the surface to prevent a reoccurrence," and that blade-sharpening services would be made available along with an additional training session for the U.S., Japanese and bronze medalist Italian teams.

“We also understand that some (National Olympic Committees) have offered their services to the impacted athletes from other countries in a true example of the Olympic spirit,” the committee said, adding that it “apologises for the inconvenience caused and reiterates its commitment to ensuring the best possible conditions for all athletes.”

Skaters typically use freshly sharpened blades as a last resort, because it can take time for them to get worked back in. Instead, they turn to what are called honing stones that they run along the blades to remove any nicks and burrs.

Some wondered whether the blades may have caused a problem for Chock and Bates in the rhythm dance on Monday night, when the favored Americans were beaten by the French couple of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron by a slim margin.

“I think the skates are fine. The blades are good,” Bates said afterward. “We skated great. We felt like it was really strong.”

The next medal ceremony at the Milano Ice Skating Arena was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, following the mixed team relay in short-track speedskating. The next figure skating medal ceremony is on Wednesday night, when Chock and Bates hope to make up their deficit to Beaudry and Cizeron in the free dance and climb onto the top step of a resurfaced podium.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics