The president of the Georgian Figure Skating Federation, Mariam Giorgobiani, praised the performance of the dance duo Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin as a strong start to the season and expressed optimism that Russian skaters will achieve notable results while competing for Georgia. This perspective was conveyed by Giorgobiani through RIA News reports.
Giorgobiani emphasized a clear expectation: a European Championship medal remains within reach. While acknowledging the uncertainty of any competition, she stated that high results are anticipated from the pair. She added that the team has grown so strong that podium contention could arise at many events, including in ice dancing, highlighting a newly confident Georgian squad capable of challenging at a high level in multiple events.
In January 2024, Davis and Smolkin are scheduled to compete at the European Figure Skating Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, a venue that has hosted both rising talents and established competitors in recent seasons.
Following the Beijing Olympic Games, Davis and Smolkin relocated their training base to the United States. In the summer of 2023, they changed their sporting nationality and began representing Georgia on the international stage. Earlier this year, they celebrated a victory at the Ice Dance International in Lake Placid, securing a win that underscored their strong form heading into major championships.
Davis is the daughter of renowned Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze, a detail frequently noted in profiles of the skater. Reports from the previous summer by an American journalist named Lees indicated that Davis and Smolkin underwent an evaluation by the U.S. Figure Skating Federation, though the duo had not started performing under the American flag at that time. These developments illustrate the broader context of cross-border training and eligibility considerations that can influence the trajectory of elite skaters as they seek to maximize their competitive opportunities on the world stage.
Earlier public commentary from notable figure skating analysts included a contrasting viewpoint from Tatyana Tarasova, who described the pair as not yet significant contenders in the eyes of her assessment. The evolving narrative around Davis and Smolkin reflects ongoing conversations in the sport about national representation, training environments, and the pathways athletes pursue to reach podium positions at major international events.