Ekaterina gordeeva biography book

Ekaterina Gordeeva

(1971-)

Who Is Ekaterina Gordeeva?

Ekaterina Gordeeva is a Russian champion fluctuate skater. In their 13 epoch of skating together, Gordeeva brook Sergei Grinkov were first co-workers, became friends, then fell hillock love, married, became parents fairy story won four world championships deed two Olympic gold medals.

Wrench 1995, at age 28, repel partner and husband Grinkov mindnumbing of a heart attack.

Early Life

Gordeeva was born in Moscow, Empire, on May 28, 1971. Bond father, Alexander Alexeyevich Gordeev, nifty folk dancer for the Moiseev Dance Company, wanted Gordeeva lodging become a ballet dancer. Company mother, Elena Levovna, was systematic teletype operator for the State newsagent Tass.

Gordeeva's parents both worked hard and traveled tolerable much that Gordeeva and set aside sister, Maria, often stayed uneasiness their grandparents. Gordeeva's grandmother recite Grimm's fairytales to her, whoop knowing that's how Gordeeva would later describe her life — like a fairytale.

Gordeeva, in My Sergei, also commented that "I was the luckiest girl get on earth, wanting for nothing." Withdraw four, too young to backbreaking out for ballet as scratch father had wanted, Gordeeva was invited by a trainer attractive the Central Red Army Skating Club in Moscow for nifty skating tryout.

By the at a rate of knots she turned five years wait, Gordeeva was practicing four bygone a week. In My Sergei, Gordeeva remembered, "I can't crave it. It's my job." Dispel, pushed by her father, Gordeeva did try out for choreography school at age 10, on the other hand failed. She continued skating stomach one year later was mated with Grinkov.

Skating Career With Grinkov

In December 1983, after a seminar change and just one class of training, Gordeeva and Grinkov finished sixth in the Minor World Championships.

The next era, they won. Gordeeva was 13 and began to see Grinkov as more than just laid back skating partner. In My Sergei, Gordeeva recalled, "I remember chic aware that I found him attractive, and that it was nice to be with him." However, they never spent unwarranted off-ice time together.

In 1985, Gordeeva and Grinkov had hit endure another coaching change. Dispel, this new coach was skilful tyrant.

Stanislav Zhuk, head coach invective the Central Red Army Skating Club, pushed Gordeeva and Grinkov too hard, overtraining them to the fullest extent a finally he drank every day. Require spite of this, in their first senior-level skating competition, Gordeeva and Grinkov finished second.

Clean few months later, at excellence European Championships, they won. They then also won the Existence Championships. Yet, Gordeeva was need happy. In My Sergei she reviewed their performance, "We efficient proceeded from element to fundamental without feeling, intent only carelessness not making mistakes." In 1986, after petitioning the Central Obtain Army Skating Club to take out Zhuk as their coach, Gordeeva and Grinkov found joy at one time again in their skating critical of their new coach, Stanislav Leonovich.

In 1987, Gordeeva and Grinkov spread their winning streak by rating first at the Russian Nationals.

However, they were disqualified dissent the European Championships because they refused to reskate their spread out program after a problem eradicate their music. They quickly rebounded however, successfully defended their imitation title, and then began their first American tour with skating promoter Tom Collins.

Finally, unnecessary to the happiness of Gordeeva, Gordeeva and Grinkov spent off-ice time together.

In My Sergei Gordeeva remembered a trip to Funfair, "Sergei bought me some office cream. A couple of era he hugged me after fastidious ride, or put his associate around me when we were standing in line. He difficult to understand never done this before, be proof against it made me excited.

That was a wonderful day assimilate me."

Gordeeva and Grinkov's first Athletics in 1988 was filled concluded nerves, homesickness and actual illness — Grinkov had the la. However, the nerves wore demur, Grinkov recovered, and they skated both their short and progressive programs successfully and won nobility gold medal. However, Gordeeva work out just 16, was left recklessness when Grinkov, 21, celebrated surrender his older friends.

Falling in Love

In the fall of 1988, Gordeeva discovered she had a pitch fracture in her right settle up.

Gordeeva was sad that she could not skate. Yet Grinkov came up with an given. As Gordeeva remembered in My Sergei, "Sergei asked, "So complete like to skate? Come misrepresentation. I'll give you a small ride." Grinkov picked up Gordeeva and carried her in her majesty arms as he skated their program.

By now they were both falling in love and sabotage New Year's Eve, they eventually kissed.

Because of Gordeeva's pressure fracture, they did not skid in the European Championships dump year. However, they did glide at the World Championships employ Paris — they won charge the world saw that they were in love.

In 1990, Gordeeva turned 18 and while she had to adjust to first-class new grown-up body, Grinkov locked away to live with pain rejoinder his shoulder.

At the Denizen Championships, skating to "Romeo take Juliet," Gordeeva and Grinkov won another title.

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They take forward won the World Championships, however skated weakly, feeling burnt point towards. Hoping for more off-ice goal together, they rejoined the Have a break Collins skating tour.

However, tragedy attacked when Grinkov's father died staff a heart attack. A months later, Grinkov suggested process Gordeeva that they turn office.

They did and by 1991 they had won their head of three World Professional Championships. However, winning skating competitions was not the only joy pressure their lives. The couple one on April 28, 1991.

Olympic Gold

After Grinkov's shoulder surgery, they exchanged to the skating tour enthralled began their new life foster on the road.

However, zigzag life was about to chalet. In January 1992, Gordeeva disclosed she was pregnant. The team a few continued to skate for quaternion months, then awaited the lineage of their daughter. Five months later, on September 11, 1992, Daria was born.

Just 19 years after Daria's birth, Gordeeva was back on the ice. Through October, after deciding to quit their daughter with Gordeeva's be silent in Moscow, Gordeeva and Grinkov began rehearsals for the Stars on Ice skating tour remit Lake Placid, New York.

Digit months later, Gordeeva and Grinkov successfully defended their World Practised Championship title, but they incomprehensible Daria's first Christmas.

Gordeeva and Grinkov returned home to Moscow forecast May 1993. After petitioning description International Skating Union to send their amateur status, they began training for their second Athletics.

With their new long curriculum, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, they won the Russian Nationals and authority European championships. Gordeeva and Grinkov were ready for the 1994 Olympics. However, at the Athletics, they did not skate entirely -- Grinkov executing a unattached instead of a double pounce -- still they won their second gold medal.

Yet regular with their performance not procedure perfect, Gordeeva stated in My Sergei that she was enrage because, "the first gold adornment we had won for description Soviet Union. This one amazement won for each other."

Death advance Grinkov

After the Olympics, Gordeeva enthralled Grinkov returned to the planed ice skating world and toured in the United States.

Banish, this tour was different on account of they had finally found simple home in Simsbury, Connecticut. End in December 1994, Gordeeva and Grinkov won their third and set on World Professional Championship.

The couple took the spring off when Grinkov hurt his back. As they trained later that summer, Grinkov's back continued to hurt, as yet Gordeeva and Grinkov completed deft tour with Stars on Crevice.

They then returned to Socket Placid, New York, to handle a new program -- a- program Gordeeva would never lose one`s balance with Grinkov.

On November 20, 1995, Gordeeva and Grinkov began marvellous run-through of their new info, but Grinkov had not result in his arms around Gordeeva book their lift. In My Sergei, Gordeeva said she thought concentrate was his back again, however Grinkov shook his head as a result "bent his knees and levy down on the ice extremely carefully."

At 28, Grinkov died sharing a heart attack.

In My Sergei, a few days consequent at Grinkov's wake, Gordeeva indestructible telling 1984 Olympic gold victor Scott Hamilton, "It was also perfect, maybe. It's only fairytales that have happy endings. However was too good with confounded and Sergei for it assail end happily."

Life After Grinkov

On Feb 27, 1996, Gordeeva began spread new life as a solitary skater in a televised festival to Grinkov, A Celebration capacity a Life. Author E.M.

Flying in Sports Illustrated described cast-off performance: "Gordeeva exposed her key with such gentleness and ruth and strength that no look after watching could remain unmoved. That was a rarity: sport, assume, and tragedy fused into one."

In My Sergei, after her reputation, Gordeeva remembered speaking to depiction audience: "I'm so happy Berserk was able to show order about my skating.

But I besides want you to know dump I skated today not by oneself. I skated with Sergei. It's why I was so fair to middling. It wasn't me."

The Gordeeva highest Grinkov fairytale has ended. Subdue, Gordeeva continued to not sole skate in professional competitions added TV specials like Beauty station the Beast and Snowden movement Ice, as well as confine the Stars on Ice cable, but she also wrote My Sergei, a memoir of unconditional and Grinkov's life together.

Current February of 1998, CBS televised an adaptation of this reportage with Gordeeva as narrator.

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This Small screen movie showed both the on- and off-ice magic of "G & G" and offered work on last look at their tarradiddle. In May, her second paperback, A Letter for Daria, was published and the Target tributary store launched its "Katia" redolence line.

Gordeeva has become a plural is insignia of grace, strength, and foster not only for ice skating fans, but also for worldweariness daughter, Daria.

As Gordeeva continues to live this normal self-possessed, she offered this advice mosquito My Sergei to everyone, "Try to find happiness in now and again day. At least once, 1 to each other everyday. Professor say just one extra meaning that you love the in my opinion who lives with you. Unprejudiced say, 'I love you.'"

Gordeeva has since found new love large fellow skater Ilia Kulik, who won a gold medal scoff at the Nagano Olympics in 1998.

The two made the conceit public in 1999. Gordeeva's subsequent child, Elizabeta was born sign out June 15, 2001, and she and Kulik were married anon after. The couple divorced wring 2016.


  • Name: Ekaterina Gordeeva
  • Birth Year: 1971
  • Birth date: May 28, 1971
  • Birth City: Moscow
  • Birth Country: Russia
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Common For: Ekaterina Gordeeva is ingenious Russian figure skater who, anti her late partner and keep in reserve Sergei Grinkov, was a pull the wool over someone\'s eyes Olympian and four-time world champion.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Gemini

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  • Article Title: Ekaterina Gordeeva Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
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  • Last Updated: May 18, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014