MILAN (AP) — Despite a hearing impairment, Las Vegas-born ice dancer Diana Davis is playing a pivotal role in elevating Georgia’s standing as a surprise contender at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The team event in figure skating is considered the ultimate test of depth, and historically, it has been out of reach for Georgia, a nation that has never before won a Winter Olympic medal.
Smart recruitment and the involvement of controversial Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze, who is Davis’ mother, have contributed to Georgia’s rising prominence in the sport. As of Friday, February 6, 2026, the team was in fourth place heading into the second of three days of team competition.
Davis had a busy Friday, performing with her husband, Gleb Smolkin, to “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” by The Offspring – an unconventional choice for figure skating – and also carrying the Georgian flag during the opening ceremony.
“It means a lot to me,” Davis said Friday. “I’m just glad.”
Davis has publicly discussed her experience with hearing issues, which began after receiving an incorrect dosage of antibiotics when she was two years old. In a December Instagram post, she described feeling withdrawn, facing mockery, and experiencing difficulties at school as a result. She explained that while she can generally hear music – crucial for a skater – she often struggles to discern the lyrics.
“I want people who have the same condition not to feel ashamed or to withdraw into themselves, not to be afraid to try sports, and not to listen to those who try to limit them,” she wrote.
Davis, who has Georgian heritage through her mother, competed for Russia at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She married Smolkin in Las Vegas shortly after and began skating for Georgia in 2023, coinciding with the period when Russian skaters were excluded from international events.
Davis’s hearing loss impacts her cognitive processing, as she explained in her social media post. “When you live with something like this, your brain works differently: information reaches you later than it does for most people,” she said. Despite these challenges, she continues to compete alongside Smolkin.
“I can hear music well (except for certain frequencies), but I often can’t understand the words,” Davis explained. “I can hear the intonation and feel the emotion.”
Davis and Smolkin competed in the figure skating ice dance team event on Friday, February 6, 2026, in Milan, Italy.
During the Olympic opening ceremony on February 6, 2026, Davis and Luka Berulava led the Georgian athletes as flag bearers.
