Georgian Figure Skating Federation President Mariam Giorgobiani said in an interview: RIA NewsThat Russian figure skaters changed their sports citizenship due to neighboring countries.
“If there was an opportunity, I would somehow strengthen the Georgian national team. There is no special agreement with anyone at the moment. Generally speaking, when it comes to athlete transfers, I always give priority to men with connections to Georgia and all over the world. Apparently we are neighboring countries to Russia and the most suitable men come here,” Giorgobiani said.
The best Georgian singles skater, Nika Egadze, trains with Eteri Tutberidze in Moscow. Anastasia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, competing for Georgia in pair skating, come from Russia. 2022 European champion Anastasia Gubanova with Evgeniy Rukavitsyn in St. He trained in St. Petersburg and represented Russia before joining the Georgian national team. Tutberidze’s daughter Diana Davis also skates for the Georgia team and ice dances in a duet with Gleb Smolkin.
At the end of February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) appealed to international sports federations, recommending that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be allowed to participate in any competitions.
The International Skating Union (ISU) suspended athletes from both countries from competitions. The last major tournament for the Russians was the Olympic Games in Beijing in February 2022.
Previously recognizedIt was stated that Tutberidze will accompany the Georgian skater at the European Championships.