Added female pairs skater Diana: Pursue dreams again in her 40s – Sports – China Engineering Network

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Added female pairs skater Diana: Chasing dreams again in her 40s

Beijing Evening News reporter Wang Xiaoxiao and Liu Ping

For female figure skaters, 40 is not only an “old age” but also an almost incredible age. But Canadian pairs skating veteran Deanna Stratto-Dudik doesn’t think so. For the 40-year-old, “age doesn’t matter, 40 doesn’t mean anything.”

On December 7, this season’s World Figure Skating Grand Prix finals kicked off in Beijing. Diana and her partner Deschamps appeared in the adult pairs short program competition and temporarily ranked second with 71.22 points.

Deanna started skating at the age of 6. The most outstanding achievement of her ice career was the silver medal in the women’s singles at the 2000 World Youth Championships. However, due to injuries, the rising singles skating star had no choice but to retire that year. In March 2016, Deanna, who was already 33 years old, married and had children, shocked the figure skating world by returning to the ice rink as a pairs skater.

“I just felt that in this sport, I had not reached the end yet.” Talking about the reason for her comeback after 16 years, Deanna said, “So I tried to start again to see how far I could go.”

Initially, Deanna partnered with an American player and finished fifth at the Four Continents Championship in the 2017-2018 season. In 2019, she joined forces with Canadian player Deschamps and changed her nationality from the United States to Canada. The two quickly sparked off, and their competitive status steadily improved. Last season, the two advanced to the Grand Prix Finals for the first time and finished fourth, and then won third place in the Four Continents and fourth place in the World Championships. This season, the two took a step further and won two championships in the Grand Prix without any suspense, locking in the qualification for the finals early. Diana bluntly said that she regretted missing the podium in the finals last season, “I hope to perform better this time.”

Diana is always energetic and radiant on the court. Although makeup can no longer completely cover up the fine lines on her face, she feels that “age is not a problem.” What ice fans praise her most for is her muscular lines and powerful performance, which makes her unique among female athletes. “I work out every day and don’t find it difficult to stay in shape.” Deanna shrugged. “Of course, compared with young girls, I may have to work more during my recovery. But once I get on the court, everyone is equal. , I don’t feel any different about myself.”

Although she is over 40 years old, Diana has not participated in the Winter Olympics. Her partner Deschamps will be 32 years old and has no Olympic experience. For the 2026 Winter Olympics, the two veterans hope to participate. “But it’s still a bit far away,” Deanna said. “We still have to stay healthy and continue to work hard day by day.”