November 26, 1995
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
TRAGICALLY, GRINKOV'S TALE OF LOVE SKATES INTO LEGEND ''THEN THERE'S A PAIR OF US,'' THE POET WROTE. ''DON'T TELL.'' BUT THE WORLD SAW G AND G - AND WON'T FORGET
by Diane Pucin
They were pushed together by coaches, Sergei Grinkov, a strong, cocky15-year-old, and an 11-year-old feather named Ekaterina Gordeeva. That'show it was done in the old Soviet Union.
He would throw her into the atmosphere, and when she'd come down, thistiny, pale figure, he would catch her, and you'd never hear her body touchhis hands. You'd never hear their skates hit the ice, either.
That's what everybody talked about after Gordeeva and Grinkov, "G andG," won their second Olympic gold medal in pairs figure skating at Lillehammer in 1994. They were all grown up by then. Grinkov, 26, andGordeeva, 22, were married and had a daughter, Daria. On a magical night, Gand G finished their comeback in teary triumph.
American skater Karen Courtland summed up the evening perfectly: "If youwere able to use your ears, you would hear nothing. I don't think anyone ever has skated at that level."
They had skated so effortlessly, so lightly, so lovingly, that when their skates touched the ice, there was no sound. They had skated inperfect harmony, their eyes never leaving the other's, two kids who had grown into passionate adults and now did everything in perfect synchronicity.
Soviet pairs had always been known for their grace and for routines that were more about classical Russian ballet than about sport. Grinkov, bullishly strong, and Gordeeva were the first to combine athleticism with ballet and get perfection.
At 5-feet-11 and 185 pounds, he would throw her, barely 5 feet tall and never over 95 pounds, into infinity, it seemed. They were the only pair to do a quadruple twist, with him throwing her so high that she would execute four full spins before floating back into his arms. Yet, on the ground,their skating was elegant and emotional.
Off the ice, they were charming. His English was imperfect, so she would answer questions for him. She would ruffle his hair. He would whisper in her ear. She would giggle, then start, "Sergei says . . . ."
The news seemed impossible to believe: "Skater Sergei Grinkov collapsed and died during a practice session in Lake Placid today."
You tried to think of another skater named Grinkov. Was there a hockey player maybe? An old coach?
It didn't seem possible that "Katya," as he always called her, had become a 24-year-old widow who would no longer start a sentence, "Sergei says . . . ."
Grinkov had a massive heart attack last Monday while training with her for an ice show. An autopsy revealed heart disease of a severity rarely seen in a 28-year-old athlete. One coronary artery was virtually closed.
Gordeeva and Grinkov won a gold medal at the Calgary Olympics in 1988,two more world championships in 1989 and 1990, then retired. They wed, had Daria, and moved from Moscow to the United States to skate in professional ice shows. When the International Skating Federation changed the rules before the 1994 Olympic games, allowing professionals to regain theirOlympic standing, they chose to come back.
In Lillehammer, he got so nervous during their final routine that he stumbled, something he rarely did. Still, G and G had skated well enough towin the gold on a night when the level of skating was described by Todd Reynolds, Courtland's partner, as one "that won't ever be witnessed again."
The world cheered.
Kurt Browning, a Canadian singles champion, once said there was only one"big flaw" with G and G's routine: "It doesn't last long enough. I wanted it to go on forever."
It won't go on forever. It is over now.
And it seems impossible that there will ever be another skating pair like Gordeeva and Grinkov.
the G&G corner - Copyright © Su-jan Yip, September 1996 - 2007