Tarasova said that Davis and Smolkin will help the Georgian national figure skating team
Honored coach of the USSR in figure skating Tatyana Tarasova appreciated the upcoming transfer of the Russian dance duo Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin to the Georgian national team. Her words are quoted by Sport24.
“Davis and Smolkin will help this country very well in figure skating. In Russia, they have not been training for a long time, and the state does not spend money on them, ”the specialist said. She wished the athletes a good journey, high results and future correct choices in their careers and lives.
In Russia, the pair’s transfer to the Georgian national team was approved
Head coach of the national team Elena Chaikovskaya confirmed that the executive committee of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) approved the change of sports citizenship of Davis, the daughter of figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze, and Smolkin, the son of actor Boris Smolkin.
There were no applications from Davis and Smolkin for the transfer, but on May 22 we received a release from Georgia with a request to give them the opportunity to transfer. We considered this issue, the bureau of the executive committee decided to release them on May 25
Davis and Smolkin could go to the national teams of the USA or Israel
In the summer of 2022, information appeared that the dance duo would change their sports citizenship and represent the United States. In September, journalist David Leese announced that Davis and Smolkin had become members of the American Figure Skating Federation.
Tutberidze called her daughter’s possible transfer to the US national team a fake. Davis also issued a refutation of this information.
Later it became known that the skaters were thinking about moving to the Israeli national team. However, the head of the country’s Figure Skating Federation, Boris Khait, denied these reports.
Figure skaters missed the 2022/2023 season
In September 2022, Davis and Smolkin refused to perform at the test skates of the Russian national team, and then missed two stages of the national Grand Prix series. Athletes living in the US explained this decision by problems with documents for leaving the partner’s country.
Davis and Smolkin played in the adult Russian team only in the 2021/2022 season
The skaters became eighth at the European Championships and took 14th place at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Also on account of the pair is the silver of the Russian championship. At the junior level, they won the bronze of the national championship and became winners of the international Grand Prix series.
Source: Lenta
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