Georgia Wins First Winter Olympic Medal in Figure Skating

When Anastasiia Metelkina fought to hold her balance on a throw triple loop, she didn't just save a landing. She secured Georgia's first Winter Olympic medal in the country's history.

Metelkina, 20, and her partner Luka Berulava, 23, captured silver in pairs figure skating at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games on Monday. Their score of 221.75 put them firmly on the podium behind Japan's world record-breaking gold medalists.

"It's the best day of my life," an emotional Berulava told reporters. "It's an amazing moment for my country. I have no words. I'm shocked."

The reigning European champions have been skating together for less than three years, teaming up in spring 2023. That makes their Olympic success even more remarkable, going from new partners to Winter Games medalists in under three years.

The competition came down to a nail-biting battle for second place between Georgia, Germany, Hungary, and Canada. When Metelkina stumbled slightly on that crucial throw triple loop but managed to stay on her feet, the difference between silver and finishing off the podium hung in the balance.

"No!" Metelkina said with a laugh when asked what went through her mind in that moment. "I'm used to landings. It happened how it happened. There is still space to grow and we will improve our performance."

The Ripple Effect

For the small South Caucasus nation, this historic medal represents more than athletic achievement. It puts Georgia on the Winter Olympics map and shows young Georgian athletes that winter sports dreams are possible, even from a country not traditionally known for ice skating.

The pair competed in four performances over the Games, skating in both the team event and pairs competition. They credited smart time and fitness management for helping them maintain their edge throughout the grueling schedule.

Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara staged a thrilling comeback to claim gold with 231.24 points. Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, who led after Sunday's short program, took bronze with 219.09.

Already looking ahead, Metelkina and Berulava say they'll use what they learned in Milan to aim even higher at future Games. They're not making predictions about gold medals yet, but the experience of standing on an Olympic podium gives them something every athlete needs: proof that they belong at the top.

Georgia now has its first Winter Olympic heroes, and they're just getting started.