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Grace personified
Katia Gordeeva talks about her love for skating, Sergei, and Daria
by Brion O'Connor
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 Watching Ekaterina Gordeeva walk through a hotel lobby, it's difficult to imagine the strength and sheer athletic prowess she possesses on the ice. She is a small, slight woman, though one of flawless posture and poise. Once you begin to talk with her, however, Gordeeva's strength of spirit is readily evident, and it is no longer a great leap to imagine her summoning the physical intensity and grace needed to perform and excel at the highest levels of her sport. Thoughtful, engaging, beautiful, and quick to smile, Gordeeva exudes all the attributes of a champion athlete, a performer, a caring mother and a remarkable individual.
For more than half her life, Gordeeva's persona was inextricably laced with her partner and late husband, Sergei Grinkov. The couple, who were first matched at the Soviet Union's Central Red Army Club, grew together to become one of figure skating's most influential pairs ever. In 13 years together, Gordeeva and Grinkov came to define pairs skating, developing a unique style that helped lift the sport to new heights, artistically and athletically.
So dominant were the pair that Sports Illustrated, in a compendium of the greatest sports dynasties of this century, listed Soviet pairs skaters number 18 on the list. In the words of SI's editors: "No pair better defined the elegance and discipline of the Russian skaters than the beautiful Ekaterina Gordeeva and her late husband, Sergei Grinkov. Harmonious, balletic and effortlessly athletic, this Moscow couple won four world titles and two Olympic golds (plus three World Professional Championships), capturing the hearts of audiences the world over before Grinkov died of a heart attack at the age of 28 in November, 1995."
Yet even in death the pair are linked. Gordeeva's story, as a newly-widowed mother with an infant daughter, captivated the world. Though somewhat reluctant at first, "Katia" eventually returned to the ice despite the tragic loss of her husband, and her performances have only enhanced the special place she holds in the hearts of her fans. She began her career as a solo skater in February 1996, with a nationally-televised tribute to Grinkov in A Celebration of a Life. In November 1996, she released her first book, the best-selling My Sergei, A Love Story. Two years later, Gordeeva's second book, A Letter for Daria, was published.
Today, Gordeeva, buoyed by the support of her fellow skaters and her fans, leads the demanding life of an entertainer. She continues to tour with Stars on Ice, and has released a line of fragrances with Target stores -- Katia and Katia Sport. The most important and precious part of her life, however, continues to be the time she spends, on and off the ice, with her daughter and best friend, Daria.
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Audio clip:
Meet Ekaterina Gordeeva.
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Ekaterina Gordeeva
;)
