Many thanks to Cerise for the English translation and transcript.

It was the most moving pair in the history of figure skating. She was like a phantom soaring over the ice – half an acrobat, half a ballerina. He was like a strong hand controlling that wonderful performance.

They were deeply in love with each other. But on November, 20 1995 their romantic story turned into a tragedy. The figure skater died of an extensive heart attack during their ice practice. He was only 28. His name was Sergei Grinkov.
Sergei was born 1967 in Moscow. His mother, who admired figure skating, took her 5 year old son to the CSKA. But he was too far from being an ideal candidate, but still coach welcomed him. Figure skating group lacked boys – they all chose hockey. Sergei Cheskidov became his “godfather”, his first coach.

Sergei Cheskidov says: “If I was then told he would become an Olympic champion, I would burst out laughing.”

As a child, Sergei put his parents, teachers and coaches to a lot of troubles – he was a restless boy. His school diary was marked up with such remarks as “Failed to do his homework”, “Laughed at the lesson” etc. Teachers got angry at Sergei, but he could not realize that his cheerful nature irritated someone.

Alexander Gorelik (merited master of sports) commented: “I remember him always smiling. He never was peacocky”.
Sergei smiled and laughed a lot – as a boy he was nicknamed “Smile”. On the eve of his tragic death Sergei was also in a good mood. But he was a little bit pale, though nobody noticed it.

Sergei had being skating for more than 10 years but he didn’t want to devote all his life to sports. He planned to enter institute of humanities after school. But his mother persuaded her 14 year old son to keep up figure skating. Sergei was a single skater and never thought of a partner. In 1981 Vladimir Zakharov told Sergei that he found a girl for him to skate in a pair. Serezha was upset.

Cheskidov comments: “Pair skating is the most challenging kind of figure skating. You have to be perfect at elements of single skating and also learn special pair elements. Of course a boy should be strong to resist heavy loads”.
“What’s wrong, Seryoga?” – His friends asked him. “They found a partner for me.” – sighed Sergei. That was the way 10 year old Katia Gorgeeva came to Grinkov’s life.

Later Katia recalls: “Seryozha seemed to me an ordinary boy, who was too high. But he never treated me with disdain though he was 4.5 years older. When I failed to do something on ice he never got angry – instead he used to say: Katia, sit down and have a rest and then you will do it.” He was careful and tender with me.”

Cheskidov says: “A girl falls during ice practice – Sergei comes at once and helps her to rise”.

At first Sergei undertrained hoping that his attitude would show the coach he didn’t want to be a pair skater. When the coach lost his patience he asked the parents of young skaters to come to him and said there were only two options – either Sergei skate together or he would dismiss Sergei from the group. So, Sergei’s idea to turn back to singles failed. But still he didn’t want to give up skating. That day Katia called him and asked whether they could go walking together…
They walked for hours and talked about everything: school, music, figure skating…As a result Katia and Sergei continued to skate in duet.

A. Gorelik: “Katia was always disciplined and professional. We never had to remind her to wipe skates, her performance dresses were always neat. So she was a “disciplining part” of their pair, if not the leader”.

Then Gordeeva and Grinkov didn’t know they would become 2-time Olympic champions and gain love of millions of fans all over the world. Rivals and reporters would admire them as well. They felt each other on the ice. After Sergei’s death Katia said: “I could not imagine myself skating not feeling Seryozha’s hands, not looking into his eyes. I can not skate with another partner. It was impossible to think that somebody else would touch me on ice. The only hands I felt since I was 11 were Sergei’s hands”.

It was under guidance of S. Zhuk that G&G won their first gold medals – in 1984 at junior world championship in Colorado Springs. But then the CSKA management tried to press Zhuk to refuse from the promising skaters. Of course he said “no”. Then they threatened to recruit Sergei to the army if they didn’t leave Zhuk.

Nina Zhuk: “Their parents came crying, but still G&G were passed to another coach”.

It was Marina Zueva. In 1986 they were again the first at the world championship and only two years later Katia and Sergei got gold in Calgary. Newspapers called Sergei a giant and Katia – a Tiny Sweet. An American skater Peter Gohergar (translator: can’t hear his name) was emotional about them: “Their skating was perfect. It was ballet on ice, a pure blend of strength, artistry and elegance”. The US team coach John Nix said he was impressed how an 80-kg man could glide over the ice absolutely soundless and tenderly handle his partner.
Nobody could imagine his wonderful dance would one day break on ice…

At that Olympics G&G were called the most romantic pair skaters. There was something more than just friendship between them outside ice-rink. But only a year later, on the NY eve Sergei opened his heart to Katia. Later Katia recalled: “We were sitting at the table, he poured vodka for me in a short glass, I felt a bit uneasy and saw he was going to say something. Then Sergei asked: Why don’t we kiss? It was not a question, indeed. He felt I was dreaming about it. So he kissed me in my lips…I said: Seriozha, why have you chosen me? I am a teen-ager…I am not that pretty…My body is not perfect at all…Sergei pressed my lips and answered: You are mistaken. You are 17, your body is beautiful and I love you just as you are.”

Several months later Katia and Sergei decided to get married. But they had to postpone the wedding. In spring’ 90 Sergei’s farther died of a heart attack. So their civil and church marriage took place next year.

Farther Nikolay: “Katyusha was such a young girl. She was only 18 or 19. She told me she had a sweetheart who offered his hand to her. I was pleased she let me into her secrets. I suggested they got married in church as they both were orthodox”.

The wedding was appointed for April, 20 1991. And Sergei was hardly in time. A few days before he had his arm operated in the USA and his flight back was delayed. Katia and parents worried a lot…

Cheskidov: “Some people were sorry for Katia, because Sergei – yes, he was a kind-hearted guy, but absent-minded. And you need feeling secure for family life.”

But Sergei could not live without adventures. When he and Katia came to the registry office, it turned out that he had forgotten his passport. But the officers forgave the young man and did the procedure.
In September Katia and Sergei became happy parents.

A.Gorelik: “Such marriages are possible not only in figure skating between the partners. Something very special happens in heaven…Their family was so sweet, Dasha was born. She is now skating and performing at the US championships, by the way.”

When Sergei passed away, little Daria said to her mother: “My daddy is in heaven. Mummy, please, ask God to let my farther see me.” Then Katia addressed a psychologist to explain to Daria what had happened.

G&G had already turned pro and were performing in American ice shows as they got married. It was then popular among soviet sportsmen to work abroad as they could make money and see other countries.

A.Gorelik: “To win the Olympics, then to leave sports and to become parents, to come back and again win the Olympics – it’s a sports feat. The symbols of ‘88 and ‘94 – eight years between the two triumphs.” The second Olympics were more challenging for them: Sergei did a mistake in a jump, but then they compensated it with an excellent triple salchow and won the gold. They were very thankful to their first coach – V. Zacharov.

Katia: “Vladimir Viktorovich did so much for us. And the most important was that he coupled me and Seryozha many years ago.”

By that time G&G had already moved to the USA – first they lived in Florida, then – in Connecticut.

A. Gorelik: “I think it was wise of them to accept the offer of the American managers, as at that time there was no professional ice ballet in Russia. And it is awful to make an end to career at 24, 25 in full vigour”

Ekaterina Gordeeva speaks about Sergei in everyday life (from the book): I felt comfortable with him. I was surprised when Seryozha started to fit out Dasha’s room. He wanted to buy a big globe, he liked to study the places we’ve visited, he adored geography. He wanted to show these places to our daughter. He dreamt of a great journey around Europe with me – we would stop in every town, visit cathedrals and museums and stroll along boulevards…Sergei wanted to do so much apart from figure skating.” After his death Sergei’s mother said: “How can I redeem my guilt that I brought you to such a short life?”

Grinkov never complained about his health before 1995. He was examined in winter’94 before the Olympics in Lillehammer. Nothing caused doctor’s concern. Not long before Sergei addressed an American doctor saying his back ached. Nothing wrong was found, though Sergei was advised to see cardiologist. But the following 1.5 years Grinkov didn’t want to see a doctor, as he feared they would prohibit skating. And that meant he and Katia would lose lucrative contracts. Though nothing omened terrible outcome, it resulted in a tragedy.

Katia: “We will train for the professional world championship. And then, I hope, we will tour with the same show as in previous two years. It is called “Stars on Ice”. Scott Hamilton and Kristy Yamaguchi also perform in it.”

That fatal day G&G practiced in the Ice Palace of Lake Placid. They say, a few seconds before Sergei fell, Katia touched his shoulder and said: “Oh, it smells so good”. “Yes, the t-shirt is clean” replied Sergei and glided to the rink side. Then he collapsed on the ice. People around him thought it was a heart attacked and called an ambulance. Sergei was taken to hospital. There a doctor came out to Katia and said that Sergei had died not in hospital, but at the rink.

Father Nikolay: “Sergei’s death was so striking. But he was spiritually ready for it. 1.5 months before he died they came to me. Seryozha said he had shoulder aches – later it became clear that was heart – he also talked about tours and interesting performances. They both confessed and had a holy communion.”

Marina Zueva told Katia at the hospital: “Katia, go and speak to him. He still can hear you.” “I can’t describe the feelings that overwhelmed me at that moment. Seyozha still had his skates on, but he didn’t look dead, it seemed even as though he was breathing. His hands were ice-cold. But when I touched his shoulders, I felt they were warm. I didn’t know what to say and I don’t remember for sure my words. May be something simple like “Your hands are cold.” And I said I was sorry, I was so sorry.”

Father Nikolay: “They probably felt something bad. But they could not realize what it was. Your soul and heart are not at ease, but you can’t imagine it’s the end of someone’s life.”

Sergei Grinkov was buried on November, 25 1995 at Vagankovskoe cemetery. Katia became a widow at 24. It seemed to her life had ended. Father Nikolay who had baptized her, married her with Sergei, baptized Dasha and read burial service over Sergei said to her: “Don’t be afraid to be happy in your future life. Skate.” – those were his simple words. “And if you find a good man with whom you will feel comfortable come with him to this cathedral and I will bless your union.”

Katia came back to the USA in a month, but just recently she had met such a man. It is an Olympic champion Ilya Kulik.
Father Nikolay: “I tried to reassure Katia. We talked a lot with her. I followed Sergei to his grave at Vagankovo, where he got married in church with Katia and where he rests in peace.”

S. Grinkov: “It’s impossible that our life goes another way.
“Would you do the same given the opportunity to start everything from the beginning?”
“Yes, I think I would.”