“We learned a big lesson this year: Material matters,” Olivia Smart said in the mixed zone at the 2025 ISU World Championships in Boston, MA. “No matter the skate, no matter what you do on that day, the material and the program you present have got to be strong. It truly makes such a difference when you have everybody on your side, because of the program itself. Then the confidence grows and scales as well.”
Smart and her partner, Tim Dieck, were feeling celebratory. The duo, who represent Spain, achieved new personal-best scores in both programs at Worlds in Boston. They finished sixth overall, a stunning jump from their 19th-place finish the year before. Even more surprising, Smart and Dieck placed third in the free dance and won a coveted Worlds small medal.
It was a heady moment indeed. In only their second season together, Smart and Dieck were challenging–and beating–some of the top teams in the world.
“If you would’ve asked me two years ago, when we first held each other’s hands, that we’d be here today, where we are, I would have laughed in your face,” Smart said candidly. “Because in ice dance, it’s a little unrealistic. But we’ve made it real.”
And, as Smart recognized, the biggest factor in their success was their mesmerizing, intense free dance to Dune. The program resonated deeply with judges and fans all season. And the Spanish team could take much of the credit themselves. Because the free dance was, originally, Smart’s idea.
A game-changing program
“I went to see the movie. We were looking for a certain type and style of music, and the Dune soundtrack really filled those boxes,” Smart explained the next day, when I sat down with the Spanish team for a longer chat. “When I presented it to Tim and the coaches, everyone was on board right away. Everything happened very naturally from there. It was a good flow to creating the program.”
Romain Haguenauer, one of Smart and Dieck’s coaches at the Ice Academy of Montreal (I.AM), worked with them to create the choreography. Smart personally helped design her ombre earth-toned, hooded costume, which is a perfect fit for the desert-themed concept and helps set the mood.
“I had this idea–exactly this [costume]–but I couldn’t put it on paper, and I didn’t know how to physically make it work, and explain it to a designer,” Smart said of her concept. “So Madison Chock helped me. She drew two drawings. She had a scarf like this material, and we wrapped it around my head and played with it. She made me feel confident in making the costume. It was kind of risky; we weren’t sure if this [the hood] would be classified as a prop. But I was so invested in making it happen. Having Maddie back me on that, and bring my vision to life, even in terms of the coloring–I trust her with my life, for my costumes.”
Smart and Dieck said that performing the dark-themed, epic free dance demanded a high level of emotional energy and intensity.
“It’s such a focused, driven program. I have to stay in my bubble before,” Smart said. “I don’t hug anybody, or touch anybody. I have to really, really maintain [emotional energy] a lot for this program.” On the day of the free dance in Boston, she felt even more edgy. “I was doing my makeup, and my mom sent me an emotional text, and I cried my eyes out. I was just so emotional all day.”
With Olympic spots on the line for the 2026 Winter Games, the pressure was intense in Boston. Yet, when Smart and Dieck finally took the ice for their free dance, all that temporarily fell away.
“Of course, there’s nerves. So many emotions, especially on a big stage. It can get very overwhelming,” Smart said. “But, in that moment, for me, everything stops. When your music starts, you’re like: ‘’Well, here we are. I’ve got to do this. It’s now or never.’ Everything goes quiet in your mind for a second. Then you get to the end, and you’re like, ‘Wow, that happened!’ It’s an amazing feeling–something you can’t really describe unless you experience it.”
As they skated their free dance in Boston, Smart and Dieck sensed that a magical moment was building for them.
“As soon as we got [through] the combo lift at the beginning of our program, and the crowd was cheering, I looked Tim in the eyes. I was like, ‘This is going to be fun,’” Smart recalled.
When the dance ended, the duo shared a triumphant moment of sheer joy at center ice.
“I told her she’s an absolute superstar,” Dieck said.
“And then he started crying!” Smart said.
The next day, Smart and Dieck were still trying to take in everything that had happened. And they were thrilled to receive their World small medals at a ceremony before the gala.
“I keep looking at it in my purse,” Smart said of the medal.
“The goal was top 10. And we were hoping for a season’s-best [score] again. But a small medal in the free dance? No, we didn’t expect that,” Dieck marveled.
“We know a lot can happen, and the field can move around if people make mistakes. But it was a substantial ending for us,” Smart said. “To finish sixth, and have a free dance small medal, is crazy, with how strong the field is, and how tight it is.”
Ice dance judging seldom offers surprises, but it did at this World Championships. In Boston, the standings shifted quite a bit between the rhythm and free dances, and many teams finished higher or lower than expected, based on previous results this season. Smart and Dieck definitely benefited from the judges taking a fresh look at the competition.
“I’m happy that’s what happened,” Smart said. “We know a lot of the field is already set in ice dance, and there’s a political game that’s played. But it felt like here, they judged what they saw. That’s remarkable for us as skaters, because we actually are rewarded for what we’re putting out there.”
“It’s very exciting. I still couldn’t believe it until we actually held a medal–and it’s not small at all, actually–in our hands,” Dieck said.
“I need to convince her to skate with me”: How it started
Smart and Dieck’s small medal at Worlds is the high point of a two-year partnership that’s been unexpected, and compelling, since the beginning.
Back in spring 2022, both Smart and Dieck faced a transition in their careers when their previous partnerships with Adrian Diaz and Katharina Muller ended. Smart signed a contract to star in Dancing on Ice, the British ice dance reality show. Dieck moved to I.AM, where Smart trained, and set his sights on a tryout with her.
“I was so nervous coming to this school. It’s the best school in the ice dance world,” Dieck said. “I had in my mind that I wanted to skate with Olivia. My idea was: ‘I need to convince her to skate with me. Somehow, I need to make it [happen].’ Even though I asked her in the summer for a tryout, and she said no, at first.”
“I’d just signed my Dancing on Ice contract. I was leaving for the UK soon,” Smart explained. She couldn’t see how a new partnership would fit into that picture. However, Marie-France Dubreuil and one of their other coaches convinced her to give it a shot. When the two tried out, they quickly realized it felt natural to skate together, and decided to team up.
“I felt an energy there I’d never felt before,” Dieck said of the I.AM school. “Before in Europe, I was used to group classes. Now in Montreal, it’s private classes. Every coach has their own style, and for each couple, it’s different. Every single coach tries to give us support, and to get the best out of us. Being a part of this team, with Olivia at my side, is just amazing.”
The couple work regularly with all the I.AM coaches, instead of having one primary coach.
“Every week is different. We really flip-flop around with all the coaches,” Smart said. “It’s great, because you have multiple eyes, multiple visions, lots of feedback. Sometimes fresh eyes are nice. With my former partner, we had a main coach. But we really are flexible.”
Leaning into what’s right for them
Smart, 28, and Dieck, 29, have a strong sense of who they are as skaters, at this stage of their careers. It’s important for them to find material and roles that inspire them.
“I love to jump into different characters. Until skating with Olivia, my favorite program was when I played the Joker,” said Dieck, who, as a performer, radiates an interesting mix of offbeat charm and quiet strength. “Off the ice, I also try to be a little different, to go away from the storm, and go in my own direction. I think it just comes naturally with me.”
Like her partner, Smart enjoys playing different roles on the ice and finds it a useful tool for creative expression.
“We’re both Aries, and we’re firecrackers,” Smart said of Dieck and herself. “That’s too much emotion to put out on the ice. We’ll stick to playing other people’s characters and roles. I’ve always been a very character-driven skater. You can really dial in on who that person is and do your research.”
But Smart brings her own personal flair to each new role. Not only are her costumes and hairstyles distinctive, she’s fearless in her performance level. Her skating has a boldness and fierceness that’s captivating to watch.
“There’s a lot of self-growth in performing and being an artist,” Smart reflected. “I’ve always found that I could fully be myself on the ice. I like being different. I like being the dark horse, and pushing the boundaries, even in terms of costumes. I’ll always wear what I want to wear. Even if my coaches have an opinion, if I don’t want to wear that, I won’t feel like I have to. I want to stay true to who I am. With the programs I skate, I want to make sure that I love it, and I feel it, before saying yes to anything.”
Because it’s a judged sport, ice dancers are constantly on the receiving end of feedback, advice, and criticism–some of it solicited, some not. It can be tempting to go with a tried-and-true approach, rather than venture a riskier path. Female ice dancers, especially, may feel pressure to conform to a traditional, ultra-feminine style of presentation. While acknowledging the pressure, Smart prefers to focus on what feels right to her.
“I appreciate feedback, and I’ll always take it, sometimes with a grain of salt. I’m never a ‘no’ person,” Smart said. “If somebody requests something, I’ll always try. If it works–great, fantastic, both sides are happy. But if it’s not for me, I won’t stick with something that doesn’t feel right and genuine. I really follow my gut and what I believe. I feel like I’ve been able to grow into my own skin, because I’ve had the support to do so. And, of course, results give you confidence. For the younger generation of skaters … You’re your own self. There’s only one of you.”
Looking ahead
As they turn toward the 2025-26 Olympic season, Smart and Dieck face the challenge of coming up with new programs that are as memorable and successful as this season’s. (Their late-60s psychedelic rock rhythm dance also stood out in a season of disco and “mashed potato” mid-60s programs.) At Worlds, they acknowledged that Dune may be hard to top. They didn’t rule out bringing it back for next season, with Smart calling it a “50/50” chance, at the time.
“A lot of people are asking us to keep this program, before we could even think of doing that ourselves,” Smart said in Boston. “We’re going to take some time to re-set. We have an idea for next season–a very strong idea–that we both are really invested in and want to do. But we need to weigh our options in a smart way.” Especially now that they have a winning property, so to speak, with Dune.
The duo looked forward to preparing for the new season in Montreal. Smart and Dieck both enjoy living in the cosmopolitan city on the St. Lawrence River.
“I found a really nice place to live there; I’m right by the water. It’s a fun place, and it’s a cool community in Montreal. I enjoy it,” Dieck said. He has connected with a group of non-skating friends who attend university in Montreal, and spends much of his free time with them.
Smart, meanwhile, finds Montreal a continuous source of inspiration. She describes herself as a “fashionista,” both on and off the ice, and loves the vibrant fashion scene in the city.
“There’s a European energy in Montreal,” Smart said. “On the streets, if you’re not dressed up, or if you’re not trying, you don’t stand out. But everyone in Montreal tries. Everyone looks amazing. You’re always trying to top the next person you see. It’s really inspired me to step up my game and what I wear. I’ve met a lot of people in the [Montreal] fashion world, and I’ve watched them open stores and companies, and helped them by pushing their brands and wearing their products.”
It’s all part of the creative energy that Smart and Dieck bring to their partnership. Right now, the team is focused on the next ten months and the 2026 Olympic Games. They may wait until after the Olympics to make decisions about their future.
“We haven’t really talked about it yet. We just soaked in this season, and now we’re looking forward to the next Olympics, and we’ll go from there,” Dieck said. “We are like middle-aged skaters [ice dancers]. We are not the oldest ones. So maybe we have some more years coming up, but we really haven’t had this conversation yet. I mean, it’s our second season together. It still feels new–even when we placed third in the free dance at Worlds. One step at a time.”
