Tragedy on ice: a love story of one of the most beautiful skaters of the XX century
'08.05.2021'
Source: RIA News Sport
She won everything in pair figure skating, but lost a partner and a loved one. The story of champion Ekaterina Gordeeva, who was able to survive the tragedy and start a new life.
Ekaterina Gordeeva's career as a single skater did not work out. Everything became clear at the age of ten, when the CSKA coaches hinted: “In the absence of clear prospects, the athlete goes into pairs.” A similar verdict was passed to 14-year-old Sergei Grinkov, Ekaterina's teammate, who studied with her at the same school (704th) and lived in a neighboring house, says RIA News Sport.
Gordeeva and Grinkov trained on the same ice for almost ten years, but did not know each other: a significant age difference affected (Ekaterina was four years younger). The guys were introduced to each other only in 1981 and were recommended to switch to a new type for them - pair skating.
Their first coaches were Vladimir Zakharov and Nadezhda Shevalovskaya. Grinkov and Gordeeva tested a new program in six months, with which they began performing in 1982. It soon became clear (to the judges, fans, and experts) how promising this duet was.
At the World Junior Championships in December 1983, the couple became the sixth, and in 1984 - the first. At their first major adult tournament, the USSR Championship, the debutants took a high sixth place.
Noticing the rapid progress of the couple, the legendary coach Stanislav Zhuk took in his group Gordeeva and Grinkova. And already in 1986, the duo won the World Cup for the first time. At that time, Catherine was only 14 years old - this is a world record that today cannot be surpassed due to age restrictions.
In the 1988 year, Gordeeva and Grinkov conquered the main height in the career of a skater: in Canadian Calgary, the couple won the Olympic Games. Fans and experts called their free program (to the music of Mendelssohn, Chopin and Mozart) a masterpiece.
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In 1990, Sergey and Ekaterina decided to end their amateur careers in order to move to America, where they began performing in the famous ice show IMG Stars on Ice under the direction of Tatyana Tarasova.
At the end of the 1980's - the beginning of the 1990's they were called the most beautiful couple in figure skating. The fact that the guys are united not only by sports goals, it became clear shortly before Calgary. In 1991, Grinkov and Gordeeva got married, and a year later they had a daughter, Daria.
The passage of the Games-1992 in Albertville is connected precisely with the birth of a daughter. But for the next Olympics in Lillehammer, Grinkov and Gordeeva returned. They returned and won again in both programs, beating the current Olympic champions Artur Dmitriev and Natalya Mishkutenok.
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In the second half of the 1990s, the world's strongest couple continued to perform in the United States in the Stars on Ice ice show. But on November 20, 1995, right during a training session in Lake Placid, a tragedy struck: Sergei lost consciousness, fell and soon died. Doctors' verdict: clogged heart arteries. Then it turned out that the day before, Grinkov, who had never complained of heart, had suffered a microinfarction.
In February 1996, Ekaterina returned to the ice and began skating alone, realizing that no one could replace Sergey in her pair. She dedicated her first performance to her late husband ... It was the “Celebration of Life” program to the musical composition of Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony.
Soon, Gordeeva published the book “My Sergey. Love Story ”, which became a bestseller.
In 2001, it became known that Ekaterina married the champion of Nagano-1998 Ilya Kulik, and in 2001 they had a daughter, Elizabeth.
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Leaving the sport, Gordeeva continued to perform in ice shows.
Ekaterina also participated in the popular Ice Age project with actor Yegor Beroev, with whom she won.
Then - with the Olympic champion Roman Kostomarov in the ice musical “Carmen” by Ilya Averbukh in “Luzhniki”.
Today, the family of Ekaterina Gordeeva lives in the United States, but often comes to Russia.
Catherine’s schedule is scheduled for the year ahead. She is still in demand, passionate about her favorite work and happy.
No, she did not forget Sergey Grinkov, but learned to live without him. For your sake, for the sake of children ...
