April 25, 2003
From American television

HALLMARK SKATING SHOWCASE

by Sylvia Yu

First, Katia and Daria were interviewed off-ice before Katia skated “Paradise.” They were both wearing the black fleece jackets that Hallmark distributed to the skaters in the show.

Katia: “Most of my life I’ve been and still I’m very close to my mother [personal photo of Katia and her mom Elena shown on the screen]. And I’m learn, of course I learn from her a lot, and still learning. My Daria, she’s very close to my mother [photo of Elena shown] because when I was busy on the road and with a lot of work, she was taking care of her. And, I’m sure [photo of Elena and Daria shown] she’s learning from her a lot also. It’s just wonderful [photo of Katia and Daria shown] that a good relationship with your parents, I think, is important.

[Clip showing Daria practicing a single toe loop on the ice] She’s skated two years and… she likes it so far. It’s actually first time when we’re going to skate together [clip of Katia and Daria practicing their duet]. It’s fun and I’m going to probably be a little nervous for her.”

Daria (speaking quickly and with a true American accent!): “I’m really ner–… well, not very nervous about all the people because I’ve skated in competitions but there wasn’t as many people, of course. Well, I guess I’m a little nervous. I’m really looking forward to skating with my mom. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!” (they hug and Katia kisses the top of her head, smiling)

Tech. elements in “Paradise” (Katia in sparkly orange dress):
turns interspersed with briefly held Ina Bauers; upright forward spin variation on a very bent knee; double loop; set up down ice into triple toe loop (this was the first retake that was edited in afterwards); spin combination of flying camel to layover position, down to back sit spin, rise with hand on knee and leg curled high behind her; footwork including a little jump up with both legs tucked, then down into a forward lunge; nice single walley jump!; forward outside edge spiral to backward outside edge spiral; butterfly to back sit spin; forward scratch spin; more footwork; double flip; layback spin to end.

Then Verne Lundquist introduced Katia and Daria’s duet to “Hey Baby (Will You Be My Girl).” It was a cute little number, two minutes long, with quite a bit of clapping, arm waving, finger pointing, chest shaking and hip waggling by both mom and daughter! Daria’s main solo element was a forward sit (change foot) to back sit spin, rise to an upright position. The rest of the time, she and Katia pretty much did mirror and side-by-side skating throughout, repeating a bunny hop (simple forward jump with no rotation — kind of like a skip forward with a toepick assist) into a forward lunge (sliding forward on one knee) rising up and stopping — three different times in the program. They also did two consecutive side-by-side split jumps (flip jump takeoff). They ended in a hug pose and got a very enthusiastic response from the crowd.

When they got off the ice, Tracy Wilson asked them how they felt.

Daria: “It was really nice and it was a good song ’cause we got the audience really going.”

Tracy then asked Daria about her nervousness before the show (”you said your stomach was doing flip-flops”):

Daria: “I totally forgot about it, it was just a lot of fun and I had a really good time with my mom out there.”

Tracy then asked Katia what was it like skating with her daughter.

Katia: “I was nervous a little bit and, but it was great to see her so I was watching her all the time. Forgot about the moves I was supposed to do! (laughing)

Tracy said that it looked like she’d have another skater in the family and asked “is she’s going to follow in your footsteps?”

Katia: “Hopefully!” (she laughs)

January 29, 1997
From ABC:

PRIMETIME LIVE

transcripted by Deenie Tyme

Introduction by Diane Sawyer: Katya Gordeeva, after the death of her husband Sergei, alone and unsure, the story of a woman learning to live again. It was a love story on the ice, then tragedy. Who could ever forget her face mourning the death of her husband.

(They show some pictures of Katya skating at the Tribute. Playing Elegy in the background, the male interviewer takes over. Now showing, clips of Katya skating Elegy, Jay starts speaking)

Jay: She could believe she is the only woman in the world to suffer such a loss, she does not.

Ekaterina: Millions of woman like me, all beautiful, but need to move on. (playing Elegy)

Jay: She could have surrendered to her grief, but she didn’t.

Ekaterina: In life anything can happen, you have to fight for happiness in life, it just can’t happen.

Jay: She hasn’t forgotten to smile. (They show Katya smiling after performing Elegy)

(Now shows both Jay and Katya sitting on a sofa facing each other. He is wearing a plaid shirt and jeans. Katya is wearing a satin blouse, with white shawl collar, the remainder of blouse is black. She has on blue jeans, and her hair tied back in a scrunchy)

Ekaterina: I’m not good with triples, you know jumps.

Jay: But Sergei use to throw you in triples.

Ekaterina: Yes, but he threw me for 10-12 years and I learn how to land it, now I have to jump up by myself. It’s more difficult.

Jay: Katya, would be the first to say that she was skating through life. (now show video clips of G&G in Man I Love) 4 World titile, 2 Olympic gold. And after having their daughter, Daria; perfect technique transforms to perfect art. Melting MANY hearts along the way. Then 15 months ago, while rehearsing Sergei Grinkov died, only 28, Katya only 24. (now they stop showing MIL, and show Jay and Katya on the sofa again)

Jay: (reading from ‘My Sergei’) …’no purpose in life, wondering whiy do I awaken’. (Jay stops reading and looks at Katya) And now…

Ekaterina: (Katya had a serious face when Jay was reading, now she pauses then smiles a little) Now, I know why. And skating helps me with this. Its brought me slowly back. At least to get up for 9AM ice time. Couple months ago, I was just living day by day. Now I know at least to do this tour, and enjoy it.

(Playing SOI guitar concierto and showing opening act. Katya talks about loving the opening of the show. She feels like being with all her friends. Her closest friends. They show Scott Hamilton).

Scott: People are inspired by her strength. It puts her performance in another place, people can relate to her in a special way.

(Playing Bach’s Air on G)

Jay: The moment you hit the ice there is a shadow with you, as a pair. Do you find this a gift or a burdern, or both?

Ekaterina: A GIFT! It supports me. I feel Sergei and I hope people will remember Sergei when they see me skate. I will never skate as good. It’s weird when I skate, I’m not as satisfied as I was with me and Sergei.

Jay: Can you imagine a day when you will have satisfaction as a single skater?

Ekaterina: I don’t know how to answer that question. Don’t know if I want the satisfaction as with when I skated with Sergei. I don’t even know if Sergei happy with what I’m doing now.

Jay: You don’t know if Sergei would want you to do this, what do you mean?

Ekaterina: Maybe, he would want me to be with Daria all the time. Maybe, I’m selfish. I know I can’t find anything else to do but skating. I wouldn’t know what to do.

(showing Katya kissing Daria at US Pros, Jay says, Daria doesn’t worry about mum’s skating. It’s the costumes)

Ekaterina: Daria says ‘I love this pink one, or this shiny one’. It makes me feel good. Judges give 9.9s or 10s, but best when Daria says she likes something.

Jay: Does Daria look like you or Sergei?

Ekaterina: Definitely she has Sergei’s face, his smile, his eyes and eyelashes–long. She has little muscles (lots of laughter between Jay and Katya). Sergei was very muscular… When Daria’s little muscles get working…

Jay: She springs into action (both Jay and Katya laughing a lot)

Ekaterina: She likes to act, actes, sometimes…

Jay: Like most kids..

Ekaterina: Oh really, I thought it was only Daria (Katya laughing throws her head back)

Jay: Well those are all characteristics of Sergei, what does she have from you?

Ekaterina: Hard to say. I like to act to (Katya looks straight at the camera)… I guess, in front of the camera. (she is laughing again)

Katya and Jay are now on the ice in Denver at McNicols arena. Katya has on red turtleneck sweater and black sweatpants. They are sitting on a bench.

Jay: I just got these second hand skates for $30.

Ekaterina: Really, you bought them right here? You didn’t have yourself, yours? Well, you tie them very professionally, very good. (both laughing)

Jay: Well, if I skate as well as I tie them, we’ll be OK. (both laughing again)

They step onto the ice and Jay is very good.

Ekaterina: You skated before, you’re so good?

Jay: As a child.

Ekaterina: Oh, that’s right on a pond. You’re perfect. You’re doing great!

Jay: Is there a difficulty making a transition from pairs to singles?

Ekaterina: At first, I thought, no one will see me. Sergei always lifted me and everyone sees me. He always presents me so wel. Now look at this rink. So huge building. So many people look at you , so small, I think no one will see so tiny on the ice.

Jay: How did you learn your first jump?

Ekaterina: First time, I didn’t take any speed, just like this (she demonstrates a hop/jump on the ice, then Jay tries. Katya lets out a little scream, OHH, when Jay makes a good attempt, he doesn’t fall, but its like he 2 foots the hop When you young, you don’t know. You close to the ground, when you fall it doesn’t hurt.

Now they show Katya skating to ‘No one is alone’ on SOI. Jay says, Katya’s art is a reflection of her life. Now they show Jay and Katya sitting on the sofa again.

Ekaterina: No one is alone. Always have someone, friends who always support you.

Jay: No matter how dark the forest.

Ekaterina: No matter how dark the forest. Always can find someone there to light up your life.

Jay: (He has a serious-thinking question look on his face). Let me ask you the final question. I didn’t intend it and I also wondered whether or not to ask it. …. Do you think that you’lll ever fall in love again?

Ekaterina: (She has a serious look on her face. She sits up straight and rests back a bit in the sofa. Her eyes widen, there is pause and silence, then..)…I think maybe I will…(pause)…and I even hope so. (she sighs heavily)…This is life for…. I think…. maybe I’m wrong.

Jay: I don’t think so.

Ekaterina: I don’t think so, too.

March 8, 1996

From NBC:

DATELINE

transcripted by Christine Roi

INTRO: They were lovers and partners, on the ice and off. Together, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov won 2 Gold medals and the hearts of the world. Then suddenly, last fall, the dream slipped away.

Dr. J. Schwartzberg: “He was technically dead from the time he slupmed to the ice.”

(Jane Pauley, voice-over): Tonight, Ekaterina Gordeeva talks about life, love and starting over without Sergei.

Ekaterina: “It’s terrible, but even that his death helped me to be stronger now…”

(Jane, voice-over): Ekaterina Gordeeva in her first in-depth interview since the death of Sergei Grinkov.

(Jane, voice-over): They were perfection on ice. Figure skating experts say there has never been a pair like Gordeeva and Grinkov. But 2 Olympic Gold medals didn’t tell the story…They were in love and when they skated it was obvious to all, Gordeeva and Grinkov were skating for each other. But in November, their love story took a tragic turn. Tonight, meet Ekaterina Gordeeva, on her own, but not alone.

(Jane, voice-over): Her perspective on the ice is different these days. Now it’s her hand that someone looks to for support. Ekaterina Gordeeva, Katia to her friends, is the big strong one in this skating pair. Her partner today is her little daughter, Daria. As Gordeeva keeps Daria upright on her skates, it’s Daria who keeps her mother pointed forward in life. It’s been four months since the sudden death of her husband and skating partner, Sergei Grinkov. And Katia’s grief has had to give way to the needs of a 3 year old girl.

Ekaterina: If she’ll see me and she smiles to me, how can I, you know, be with the tears on the eyes, and she will ask me right away, why are you crying, you know, and ah, she helps me alot like this.

Jane: She has Sergei’s face..

Ekaterina: Ya, ya, she has Sergei’s face, definitely, and his smile.

(Jane, voice-over): A tiny, but exuberant reminder of the man who was her partner in life.

Ekaterina: He was very handsome, smiled all the time. Strong, tough, ah, great man, wonderful. I’ll be missing him on the ice very much.

(Jane, voice-over): She’s not alone. Sergei Grinkov may have been the best male pairs figure skater of all time. Together, they were simply beautiful. A marriage of technical precision, and breath-taking elegance. But it was not him we were meant to watch. Katia was the radiant centerpiece, lighting up the arena, floating through the air. Knowing that Sergei would always be there to gently return her to the ice. But what took them to another level was that sense of intimacy they conveyed, as if no one was there but the two of them. They were simply a man and a woman in love. They’d been skating together for almost half their lives. It all began here in Moscow, when a coach decided that 11 year old Katia and 15 year old Sergei would make the perfect pair.

Ekaterina: I was alone, and Sergei come over and we started to skate, and the coach said you should try and take each other and try to skate hand by hand.

Jane: Were you nervous?

Ekaterina: Ya, I think I was nervous, but very exciting and interesting.

(Jane, voice-over): Early on, the partnership did have it’s rough moments.

Ekaterina: When he throw me and I have to do certain rotations and land on one foot, but first I didn’t land it for about half a year on one foot. I landed on my…uh….butt.

(Jane, voice-over): This went on month after month, but eventually the landings became flawless, and not too long after, Gordeeva and Grinkov became champions.

(Jane, voice-over): By the time they skated for the Soviet Union on the 1988 Winter Olympics, they had already won 3 World Pairs Championships. But at Calgary, they showed the world what the new standard for Gold would be. After their triumph, a reporter asked the 16 year old Katia whether she might someday need a new partner…Even without a translater, her answer was crystal clear. It was unthinkable.

Jane: Did he ever, um, drop you?

Ekaterina: Yes, two times in almost fifteen years.

(Jane, voice-over): She suffered a concussion as a result once and was hospitalized. He was distraught and apparently, falling in love. Even sportswriters saw something developing, but he didn’t rush her. He was 21. She was 16.

Jane: It was a New Year’s Eve, when, what happened?

Ekaterina: (giggling) Everyone knows just what happened!!

Jane: Well, anybody who doesn’t is about to….what happened on that New Year’s Eve?

Ekaterina: Nothing, nothing really, he just asked me first time to, if he can kiss me.

Jane: He asked you…and what did you say?

Ekaterina: I said yes, of course, I mean I didn’t say anything, I think.

Jane: You were ready though.

Ekaterina: Yes.

(Jane, voice-over): In 1991, Sergei and Katia were married in Moscow. Soon they became a threesome when their daughter, Daria was born.

Ekaterina: A Gold Medal is nothing compared to the feeling when Daria was born. It was like a gift…you know, I never thought I would be able to give birth to someone, you know, give life to someone. It’s something very very, very much, much more special than any…don’t you think so? (giggling)

(Jane, voice-over): It was partly for Daria that they decided to join a colony of other Russian skaters who’d gone pro, living and training in Connecticut. But re-instated as amateurs, they’d come back in 1994, to win another Gold in the Lillehammer Olympic Games. Thanksgiving together in Lake Placid had become an annual tradition for the members of Stars on Ice, as they prepared for their upcoming cross-country tour. This was to have been Sergei and Katia’s fourth year as professionals with the Stars on Ice family, including Scott Hamilton, Paul Wylie, Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Kurt Browning and Roz Sumners. Though Sergei refused to speak the English he seemed to understand, his boundless good nature endeared him to everyone.

Scott Hamilton: He had a very wonderful kind of way about him off the ice. He was bigger than life. He was a mountain. He was a gentle giant.

(Jane, voice-over): November 20th, five days before the scheduled performance of this year’s show, the cast was on a break from a run-through. It was just after 11 in the morning; Sergei and Katia were rehearsing alone with their coach, Marina Zueva. Katia noticed Sergei had missed a move in their program.

Ekaterina: And he was kind of, um, drop his arms, and I understand that’s he probably have some kind of a problem, and I was asking him if it was his back and he just said no…and he feel like he feels dizzy, and then he just quietly sit and then lay on the ice, and then I kept asking him what’s happened and…

(Jane, voice-over): He never answered. Within minutes, emergency medical technicians arrived.

Ekaterina: I understand that something’s happened very scary.

Scott Hamilton: He hasn’t moved, he’s changing colour, um and I looked in and he was surrounded by people, and I looked through the window and I could see Katia and she was scared out of her mind, and my one main thought was (gently pointing up), “Don’t do this..”

(Jane, voice-over): Grinkov was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital emergency room. Dr. Josh Schwartzberg was on duty that morning.

Dr. Schwartzberg: He had no pulse, he had no blood pressure, he was entirely unconscious, and in spite of attempts to shock his heart with electricity several times, there was never any response.

(Jane, voice-over): Katia and her coach, Marina, nervously waited for word, but neither had any idea how grave the situation was.

Jane: You thought he would be okay…?

Ekaterina: Ya, I mean, there was no questions about it.

(Jane, voice-over): Then the doctor gave her the terrible news, but at first, she didn’t understand his meaning.

Ekaterina: She’s saying me that we lost him, and I, by the time I translate for myself what she said, I still couldn’t believe, I mean, it was, it’s always very, um, unbelievable, and difficult to even understand.

(Jane, voice-over): Finally, she was allowed to return to her husband’s side.

Ekaterina: He was in his skates on this bed, and he really seems like he’s fine and just sleeping. And he was so big, so huge, I couldn’t believe that something could happen with him.

(Jane, voice-over): She unlaced and removed his skates. Sergei Grinkov was buried in Moscow. He was 28 years old.

(Jane, voice-over): Only last month, the skating world paid it’s final tribute to Sergei Grinkov. That night, in Hartford, Ekaterina Gordeeva returned to the ice, alone, at the urging of her friend and coach, Marina Zueva.

Ekaterina: When I went to the ice, Marina said that you should feel that Sergei will help you to skate this number and it will be fine. When I started to skate, I feel double power, double energy, really like someone helped me to skate.

(Jane, voice-over): An autopsy would reveal that the main artery to his heart had been blocked. His father had died of a heart attack, but Sergei had had no warning signs, his first symptom was fatal.

Ekaterina: His death helped me to be stronger now and I’m very lucky, very lucky that I had a chance to meet this wonderful person.

Jane: How do you want Sergei remembered?

Ekaterina: I can’t tell people how to remember Sergei. The only one thing I’d rather do is skate and as long as they see me on the ice, they will remember Sergei.

Jane: Katia is working on a book about her life with Sergei, and at some point, when she’s ready, her place in the Stars On Ice tour is waiting for her.

November 1995

Russian TV:

INTERVIEW WITH EKATERINA AND ANNA GRINKOVA

summarized by Justyna

Click here to watch the video.

First Katia tell about their sport beginnigs – that before they made the team she knew the qute boy named Sergei and she knew that he was a very good single skater. In that moment Anna started to cry (she said something about Sergei’s single skating, but I coudn’t understand her quiet words…we all know that she was against pair skating because of lifts) Katia tell that she was very happy when their future coach -Wladimir Zaharov told them in very easy way: “Take eachother hands, go and try to skate together”.

Then she said about their way to fame and champions pantheon, their first successes, Europeans, Worlds and Olymipcs of course. She tell mostly about last Olympics in Lillehammer: how important it was for them and how heavy they had to train to be the best on amateurs level and to win of course. She said about the role of Marina Zueva in their career from begin to the end – to the fatal rehearsal, where all of them were.

After telling about that sad memory she said that she saw everything what the doctors did with her husband to save him alive. She said that she told them to do everything what was neccessary include the operation. She knew that they did everthing what was possible, but they lost Sergei

Katia tell about results of medical tests (made by doctor Anikanov), which were connected with pre-olympic season and preparation. They were made for all sportsmen from Russian olympic team. Sergei had very good results, nothing special. Everything was good.

She tell about their growing relationship, love, marriage, parenthood, about the feeling when they hold their hands on the ice… Katia said that Sergei’s role was the most important in their special style and grace of their moves. She said that when she watch pair skating from the background she see that a lot of skaters have dificulties with lifts. Sergei was the best in it (sound of Anna’s cry).

She smiles only when she tell about Dasha and Sergei’s way of fatherhood and his happines of having the daughter. That he would like to made everything hisself – he made her room like his father -Mikhail Kondratievich, who built his summer house. When Sergei was alive Katia dreamed that one day he’ll build the house for her and their children too. She couldn’t talk about her loss, especially when Anna was crying in the background It was too much for Katia.

In the last scene after that beautiful Russian song (about remembering)and montage she answers the question – what next in her life…? She say that she doesn’t know, it’s so early to know..maybe she will continue skating, because it’s the one thing she could do best. She is so alone in that moment and she don’t now what will be in the future. She tenderly touch Anna’s face when she said this.

November 22, 1995

From CTV (Canada):

CANADA A.M.

transcripted by Sharon Langham

(Marina looked tired but elegant, in a black blouse with a dark blazer over it. Her hair was neatly pulled back in a bun)

Valerie Pringle: What happened in Lake Placid – how much warning did you have?

Marina: We have a practice in morning, we make a new program and we finished the program in the last evening and it was just time to check how everything looks… and Sergei stopped to skate in middle of new program… this happened on ice, on ice was just his wife Katia and me… nobody around… so Sergei was dead… in Katia’s hands.

Valerie: He just said he was feeling dizzy and lay down and just died instantly?

Marina: No. He didn’t say anything. He just… I think when he stopped to skate to the program… continue to make a program… he just skated around the rink. And I think it’s again his back problem and Katia also thinks this, but then he skated a little bit longer she come to him and asks, Sergei, what’s happening, what’s happening? And he just slowly goes down on the ice. And I watch him and I think oh no it’s not… it does not look like his back anymore… I goes out, get people to call 911, I back to the rink, I start to do (searches for word).

Valerie: CPR.

Marina (relieved): Yeah, CPR. I start to do it, I check his pulse… but the doctor said after he was dead on the ice in her hands. And in the last moment which he watched, he was looking at Katia’s face, how she love him, how she worry about him, he knows about that.

Valerie: Oh! (exclamation of sadness).

Marina: Exactly.

Valerie: How is she? I mean, this man was her life, her partner, her lover, her husband, the father of her child.

Marina (appears to be avoiding the question): Exactly. It was just nice, just nice story on the ice, just nice, just perfect story in the life, and you know -

Don Jackson interrupts: It just finished too early.

Marina (shaking head): Just… I feel not like they’re finished because… um… Katia, she will continue, you know, and she keep his memory and we have lots of stuff about Sergei. Perfect pictures…

Valerie: Yes, you’ve got lots of pictures there eh? (The camera focuses on Marina who is holding a small photo album, but they don’t show the pictures).

Marina: Yes, I bring because everyone should know, and everyone knows how they was perfect in the life, excellent and on the ice…

Don Jackson talks to Valerie about how Katia and Sergei willingly spent time with the skaters from the Minto Skating Club (they show a picture of Katia and Sergei with about fifteen skaters), how they spent time with the pairs skaters (another photo, this time with about four pairs) and also with some of the adults (last photo, this one with some adults wearing Katia and Sergei’s 1994 Olympic gold medals).

Valerie: So he was, you know, an extraordinary man and well thought of by fellow competitors and everyone in figure-skating eh Marina?

Marina: Yes. And I really like to say to everybody how Sergei was like a person. He was so much warm person. He never said anything bad or something wrong and he so much loved the kids. Not just his kid or my kid… no… he just loved them… he played with them, he made lots of smiles. I have no pictures without smiles. Just all smiles, in the life I mean.

Valerie speaks to Don Jackson about Sergei’s incomparable contribution to pairs skating and skating in general.

Valerie: And Marina, you think that Katia will continue?

Marina: Hard to say now… at least she will continue to keep a memory about him and how it will be we’ll see a little bit later. But it will happen of course, we will watch her again… of course… because it’s impossible just to stop and you know… nothing. After so great, so beautiful, so wonderful – just to stop and that’s it.

(Valerie thanks both Marina and Don Jackson and shows a clip of Katia and Sergei skating to their Out of Tears program.)

Summer 1995

From Russian TV:

RUSSIAN INTERVIEW IN SUMMER 1995

transcripted by Amy Lala and Olya Smolyanova

This interview takes place in a park in Russia, the summer of 1995. Ekaterina is wearing a blue and red striped t-shirt, and Sergei is wearing a plain white t-shirt.

Ekaterina: For the large part, everything happens in hotels and it’s a terrible pace. Frankly, it works out to about five months on the road, being away from home. We are maybe home one or two days, but constant planes, moves… it’s very difficult. But the thing is that it’s all part of life because no one thought of doing this any other way, like having a show in one location – they exist, of course, but we do have to fly all the time, live in hotels out of suitcases all the time, so we get very tired of it and that’s why we like being in one place… either there, or… and of course we love coming back here because all our friends and relatives are here.

Reporter:. You also take your daughter with you, right?

Ekaterina: Of course, she was with us almost from the very beginning – she came with my Mom a little later, Mom helped us.

Reporter: She took care of Daria when you were gone?

Ekaterina: Yes, Mom helped us at first…

Sergei: No, but we also…

Ekaterina: Yeah, sometimes we took her with us.

Reporter: You could be allowed to be in the next Olympics, will you want to go for it?

Ekaterina: It’s still far away.

Reporter: Why far away?

Sergei: I think we will definitely want to, but the issue is – we will need to take an objective look at our physical and technical form. If it stays at the level that it needs to be at, we will of course…

Ekaterina: Try our chances.

Reporter: Tell me, do you have rivals there or do you win with no doubts?

Ekaterina:. The rivals are the same as in amateur sport because they all turned professional.

Reporter: Are they capable for beating you?

Sergei: You know, it all depends on us – if we skate well… This year we won five competitions out of five but it only happened because we skated well. Had we skated badly, we could have lost.

Ekaterina: You know, it’s interesting… there is this competition, and too bad it wasn’t shown here, it was called World Team Championships and our team was represented by Alexander Fadeev, Anna Kondrashova… There are two single skaters, a pair and a dance team, and Usova and Zhilin skated for dance, and even such team competition was won by Russia over USA, Europe and… what was the fourth team? (turns to Sergei)… Canada.

Sergei: Right, and USA was represented by Brian Boitano…

Ekaterina: Yes, Brian Boitano… no, no.. Paul Wylie

Sergei: Kristi…

Ekaterina: Kristi Yamaguchi and for Europe skated Torvill and Dean, Katarina Witt and Robin Cousins, if you remember him.

Reporter: So the organizers think of all sorts of competitions to attract audiences.

Ekaterina: Yes, because it’s very…

Sergei: In America now, it’s very popular…

Ekaterina: In America, it’s very popular… figure skating…

Reporter: Do you ever feel like – uh, I am too lazy to do this.

Sergei: This is our life, we don’t know how to do anything else and of course we understand that this is the only thing that can give us satisfaction and confidence. And I don’t just mean financially, but also in general, as a person you have to know that you can do this better than others so of course we are trying… trying to keep…

Reporter: Who is the one who pushes the other, or are you equal?

Ekaterina: No one has to push because… If we were to skate poorly, the audience will see it and the critics won’t be late.

Reporter: You represent a very lyrical, classical style, but your rivals, let’s say Canadians, they think of some funny performances. Is you style enough for you, or would you like to contrast it once in a while?

Sergei: We could do a different program, it’d be interesting to see what the audience would say, but of course, for our programs… for the competitions… we will keep our style.

Ekaterina: We like to do it and we know how to do it well.

Fall 1994

G&G 1994 NEWS CLIP

Dennis House, anchorman: The International Skating Center isn’t even built yet but the promise of what is to come is enough to relocate the current gold medal pair champions from their native Russia. Channel 3’s Alison King met the skaters in Simsbury today where they were promoting the October 17th opening of their new skating center.

[Switch to video. Screen caption: HERE TO STAY ]

Voiceover: If Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov don’t look familiar to you at the Simsbury Inn today…

[Katia in a dark dress and Sergei in a gray suit walk into a room where the conference is being held and take their seats on a table in front of reporters]

…this might jog your memory.

[Clips of their Moonlight Sonata encore at Olympics]

G&G as they’re called won a second Olympic gold medal in Lillehammer last winter so their decision to move to Connecticut is considered a major coup for the state.

[Transition to...]

Bob Young, International Skating Center: “These two are the legends. They set the pace for all the pairs. Since 1984 they’ve virtually been unbeatable.”

[Video of G&G sitting next to each other, must have been taken at the same time as but does not include "the look" we saw in SOI's Sergei segment]

Voiceover: G&G, seen at home here in their former Moscow apartment have had as much success on the ice as off.

[Sequence shots of '88 Olympic LP, Katia holding a bald Daria and Moonlight Sonata encore again.]

After winning their first Olympic gold in 1988, they went pro, married and had a baby girl, Daria. Now pros again, they’re touring the world. But when they come home, it will be to their new condo in Simsbury.

[Katia and Sergei are standing in a lobby with the reporter, who is holding the mic but off-camera.]

Katia: “It’s very nice to see all around that this place is, because it reminds us very much of Russia because of the nature and all the skaters, it’s very similar.”

Voiceover: But that’s not the main reason they’re here.

[Reporter standing in front of the site of the ISCC construction zone, speaking into the camera.]

Alison King, reporter: “There are two reasons why the figure skaters find Simsbury so attractive. One is the close proximity to Bradley International Airport, hence easy access to and from European competitions. The other is what I’m doing right now. Between Connecticut, New York and Boston, G&G will receive plenty of media attention.”

[Video of pro Reverie (I think?)]

Voicover: That’s just fine with IMG, the New York marketing group responsible for their careers.

[Transition to...]

Jay Ogden, IMG: “Because of Katia’s recent appearance in People magazine – she was designated as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World – um, that has really opened up a whole new avenue for us to pursue.”

[Video still of People magazine spread with Katia]

Voiceover: What is Sergei’s reaction to that?

[Katia and Sergei in the lobby again. Katia and Sergei look at each other and laugh as Sergei answers. Both of them have big grins. Katia turns back to the reporter, a little shy.]

Katia: He says he’s…uh…doesn’t surprise…

[Big embarassed laugh from Katia, HUGE grin from Sergei, the reporter laughs too.]

Reporter: Aaaw, how sweet.

Voiceover: In fact, none of the fame and fortune seem to have fazed the two pros, which suits the fans especially in Connecticut.

[Shots of kids skating around in a rink. A couple are shown being interviewed.]

Laurette Partridge: I’m kind of excited because I might be skating at that rink and I might get a chance to see them.

Another girl: By them coming in, maybe there’ll be more attention paid to figure skating.

[Back to Moonlight Sonata encore]

Voiceover: There’s no question about that. In Simsbury, Alison King, Channel 3 Eyewitness News.

[Switch back to news desk]

Dennis House, anchorman: Now Gordeeva and Grinkov will be joined by the Ukraine ladies figure skating champion Oksana Baiul at the Simsbury skating complex. As for the 1998 Olympics, the pairs skaters say they are too busy right now to decide if they’ll travel to Japan to defend their title.

February 1994

From Russian TV:

RUSSIAN INTERVIEW LILLEHAMMER 1994

transcripted by Amy Lala and Olya Smolyanova

This is another interview from Lillehammer. Sergei and Katia are in a pressroom. Zueva and Zakharov are also there.

Reporter: Who first came up with the idea of switching back to amateurs?

Sergei: I think Katia…

Ekaterina: Why Katia?

Sergei: Well, I don’t think, I know.

Reporter: How did it happen? Katyush, did you miss the competition or did you see everyone and thought – oh, we’ll come back and even with our baggage, we will win?

Sergei: No, not that we will win with our baggage but, simply, we wanted to take part in it all again, because when we won in Calgary we didn’t really feel this… this you know… Olympic championship. If we didn’t have this…

Ekaterina: I also want… may I… I also felt that Marina Olegovna pushed us because we visited her – she lives and works in Ottawa now – we visited her and she showed us the tapes of our previous World championships and old performances, and said, Here, take a look at how you skated, and I also have this music for you, very beautiful… When I listened to the music… I… really…

Sergei: She said, Just work now for four months and…

Marina: I didn’t say that.

Ekaterina: No, you didn’t say that but listening to the music you gave us, I felt like I wanted to skate to it.

Reporter: And your smile – is it a professional habit that it’s not leaving your face or are you enjoying skating so much?

Ekaterina: I like everything very much and I think it just appears on my face because it’s wonderful when you skate and realize that the audience likes you, and you…

Sergei: …you can do it well…

Ekaterina: …you can do it well. Of course, it’s…

Reporter: So you like it when you are liked?

Ekaterina: Of course! And when there is no smile – it means something is not right.

Reporter: I think even then you are smiling.

Ekaterina: Well, I try.

Reporter: Here is a question – when you are in a lift, on one hand high up there, and your partner is moving and you have to look up at the stands – you are still smiling as if everything is so great and you are this little bird flying. Do you really get the feeling that you are flying?

Ekaterina: In lifts – of course! It’s high and so nice up there!

Reporter: You’re not afraid of heights?

Ekaterina: When I learned them of course it was scary, but now – not so

much.

R: Remember your first steps in pair skating.

Ekaterina: I remember, I was 11 and Sergei – 15, Vladimir Viktorovich Zakharov put us together. I remember, remember everything. We skated on the small rink, tried everything a little bit, fell a lot. It was scary at first, throws were very scary, but then… it was okay…

Marina: Everything worked out…

Ekaterina: Worked out, yes.

Zakharov: We liked Katia, she had a good stroke – and still has. There were problems with jumps but it’s okay, we teach such things and everyone learns. Seryozha was tall, strong.. maybe not as powerful as he became later but together they looked good, they fit each other. She is cute and he is cute, they looked good together.

Sergei: Chosen on the face value!

Reporter: The choice was good, however, you became a couple. Who was the first to say, I love you? Was this again Katia’s initiative?

Sergei: Well, the man has to take the first step…

Reporter: Good! Good… Let’s talk about your family now. Grandparents are helping out with Dasha, right? Who does she look like?

Ekaterina: Sergei, I think… She changes a lot though, every week I think, but everyone says she looks like Seryoga.

Reporter: Dad is happy?

Sergei: Of course.

Reporter: I don’t think you’ll stop here, you now have two medals. There were similar achievements in the past – Rodnina won a medal, had a baby and then won another one. You can have another baby and come back. Have you thought about beating her record – not in terms of kids, but in terms of medals?

Ekaterina: Well, I don’t think our sport is a “record” sport and we weren’t going to beat Irina Konstantinovna’s records…

Sergei: So that she doesn’t get offended.

Reporter: When you returned, you understood that you’d cross someone’s path to the national team because you have a name and means… Did you get any side looks or complaints?

Sergei: You see, we of course weren’t afraid of this but we thought that someone might be against this, but fortunately in figure skating we were able to avoid this and everything went smoothly because everything depended on the skaters – people got what they deserved based on their performance.