FAIRY TALE
Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov are the pair skating legend. Whenever they took the ice, they took the audiences' breath away. Their presence on the ice set them apart from any other pair skaters. Every moves of their bodies and turns of their heads seems to be connected as one. Their artistic and technical elements, combined with their love for each other were so superb that you can't help but feel as if you were in a dream world; the love shining from Katia's eyes, Sergei smiling at her, loving her, holding her so strong...the time just..stop.   Katia has been born a dancer. That time, her father, a tap dancer, wanted her to be a ballet dancer. However, she has fallen in love with figure skating, and so she tried every ways not to enter the ballet school. Sergei had grown up from a tall and energetic son of 2 Soviet police officers to a handsome, charming and full of enigma, figure skater, husband and father. He had always been the rock in Katia's life. Everytime he and Katya took the ice together, he would always try to show off Katya to the audience.  They were married in a small Russian orthodox church in April 28 1991. Sergei decided that they should change their amateur status to professional, so that they could learn more elements, have time to heal Sergei's shoulder and earn more money. They joined "Stars On Ice" and became important parts of this prestigious skating tour family. After Daria was born in September 11, 1992, they moved to Simsbury, Connecticut, USA. They were young, and in love, but suddenly, Sergei died. He was only 28 years old when he collapsed in Katia's arm during a practice in Lake Placid, NY. He died of a "too big" heart. They met on the skating rink 8 years before. First they were skating partners, and close friends. Then, they became lovers, husband and wife, and mother and father, with their daughter Daria (Dasha). The memory of Sergei Grinkov lives on in Katia's soul, and Daria's......and all of us. |
 Since Sergei's death, Katya begins to skate alone, and now she's competing with other famous ladies figure skaters like Kristi Yamaguchi, Yuka Sato, Oksana Baul, and etc. Her life with Sergei had been too perfect...that she wasn't prepared for the sadness of life. He was always there to protect her and to guide her. I admire her for her strength and courage to go on with her life..and taking care of Dasha who's so very much like Sergei.She is a graceful and fragile skater whose beautiful presence on the ice never fails to captivate people whenever she takes the ice.   She still lives in Simsburry, Connecticut, with her daughter Daria, who's so much like Sergei. She is currently dating fellow Russian skater, 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist Illia Kulik, and travelling with him on the 2000 Target Stars On Ice Tour. |
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Family Photo(top) copyright of Georges De Keerle.
Courtesy of Golden Skate.
Other Photo is copyright from "My Sergei" Book (E.M. Swift).
website copyright 1999, Nancy Goenawan