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.)
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