@True_Georgian Georgia's national figure skating team has advanced to the final of the team event at the 25th Olympic Games in Milan. But who actually represents Georgia?
- Mostly Russian athletes using Georgia's national team as a convenient way to avoid international sanctions.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee(IOC) imposed sanctions on Russian athletes, which triggered a mass exodus from Russia. This year, at the Winter Olympic Games, athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus were allowed to participate only under a neutral status. However, the IOC rejected most of the athletes submitted by the Russian Figure Skating Federation in pairs and ice dance(with only two exceptions: Adelia Petrosyan and Pyotr Gumenik).
It should be noted that most members of Georgia's national team train in Russia(with the exception of the ice dance pair).
Let's get to know them better.
🔴 Eteri Tutberidze - an ethnic half-Georgian Russian figure skating coach, best known as the coach of Vladimir Putin's favored athlete Kamila Valieva(who was later disqualified after a banned substance was found in her doping test, resulting in her victory being revoked), also coaches Adelia Petrosyan.
Tutberidze herself avoided IOC sanctions by citing illness and not attending the Olympic medal ceremony at the Kremlin.
Before Russia's national team was sanctioned, she showed no interest in Georgia whatsoever, openly distanced herself from anything Georgian, does not speak the Georgian language and yet today she has become one of the key figures associated with Georgia's national team.
🔵 Diana Davis - Tutberidze's daughter, competed for Russia as recently as four years ago. Before the war began, she moved to the United States and this year in Milan she is the flag bearer for Georgia!🙂
Her ice dance partner is Gleb Smolkin. Russia granted both of them permission to change sporting citizenship and unexpectedly they became members of Georgia's team.
According to ISU regulations, Russian skaters are required to live in their new country for at least one year to change sporting nationality. It is unclear to what extent this rule was actually followed.
They currently train in Montreal.
🔵 Anastasia Gubanova - has competed for Georgia since 2021 with Russia's permission. She trains in Saint Petersburg and the Milan Olympics will be the final competition of her career.
🔵Nika Egadze - is a product of the Georgian skating school, but years ago he moved to Moscow to train under Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov.
🔵 Anastasia Metelkina - the partner of Luka Berulava, trains with him in Perm, Russia.
After winning a European Championship title, Metelkina spoke in Russian, while Luka, unlike many others, openly identifies Georgian as his native language.
