December 19, 1996
CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS
by Su-jan Yip
Hello Folks,
so, I'm back again...
To end all speculations first... Yes, Ekaterina was there and she ranked second behind Denise Biellmann, but she placed in front of Yuka Sato and K. Witt... Ekaterina skated so well... And - I've seen a new programme - it's to a French song [turns out to be the debut of "Umbrellas of Cherbourg"].
Okay, and now a very long report. I wrote this during the trip back home. It was a four and a half hour journey, so I had some time... ;-) It's going to be long. My draft is six and a half pages long... [g]
My report about the Challenge of Champions in Innsbruck (19 December 1996). Actually, it's rather a report on Ekaterina. Afterall, she was the only reason why I went to this competition. I focused very much on her and didn't really pay attention to the other skaters. Actually, I was a pretty bad spectator...
Well, I had a great seat. On my ticket it said fifth row and seat #30, but I saw that there were still some empty seats in the first row and I was too selfish not to take this opportunity... ;-) I also, sat in the correct side - meaning, on the east stand - where I was able to watch the skaters warming-up - directly under my nose. I was in the hall at about seven o'clock in the evening. The show didn't start until 8 pm or something like that. Well, I was waiting and stepping around a little bit (to get warm - it was rather cold). I took several photos of the Innsbruck Olympic skating rink and then I finally saw her! After three years of waiting... Ekaterina! I was so excited and happy. She was about 20 metres apart from me (I was looking from above) doing her warm-up - some stretching and so on . She had her hair in a pony-tail and wore a green sweater. She was rather concentrated and focused on her training. Well, when I first saw her, my initial thought was: "She's sooooooo tiny!!!!!" I mean, I knew she's a delicate and fragile looking lady, but on TV she just doesn't look so small, but in reality... I kept thinking: "I can't believe she's already a mother! She looks like a young girl herself!!" And, in my opinion, she looks younger than her years. Gosh, Ekaterina is so small, but very beautiful.
Oh, yeah, I forgot... I also saw Marina Zueva. I wished her a "Merry Christmas". Well, the only response I received was an aloofed look at me. I have to admit - I wished it was otherwise because it's a prejudice - I couldn't help but to think: "What an arrogant lady". I also wished Dick Button a Merry Christmas. He also heard my words, looked at me and ignored me... Oh, well... But all the others whom I wished Merry Christmas were very friendly and smiled at me. Petr Barna even waved back. Very nice.
Okay, the show began... First Dick Button and some representative of the sponsor Nutrasweet were introduced. Speech time... Then the introduction of the skaters. First pairs, then ladies, dancers and men. Ekaterina came out with a costume, I've never seen before. It's blue (neither dark nor light blue) and at the top it's purple. Very simple in style, but it looks very good on her and I like it very much. Well, once I saw her in that new dress I kept thinking: "Hm... Will she perform a new programme? Or will she use an old one with a different costume...???" I didn't know... During the introduction Ekaterina was very well behaved. Meaning, quiet. She always had her hands together in front of her (her arms were stretched... Sorry, for this bad description). Once in a while Denise Biellmann and her talked a bit, but most of the time Ekaterina was standing there quietly smiling and looking at the skaters that were introduced to the audience.
The competition started with the pairs. I refused to watch Bechke/Petrov. I can't bear to watch any Russian pairs team anymore. I was such a bad spectator - especially, during B/P's skate (they skated to the "Blue Danube", they won). I didn't look at them. I was either looking on my hands or to the other side - to the side where they weren't there. I could hear the audience's response - B/P were clear crowd favourites and they skated well - according to the applause they got. As I said, I didn't watch them. Actually, at the beginning I did, but stopped when I teared up. I didn't want to, but slowly, but surely tears were running down my face because I knew G&&G could have won easily. It would have been all their applause, not B/P's... Sergei's death has hit me very hard and actually, it's pretty much the only reason why I cry. Apart from that I simply don't have any reason to weep. I have a good life and I'm happy about it.
Well, after the pairs, it was ladies' time. The skating order was Biellmann, Sato, Witt and then Ekaterina. Oh, the five minute warm-up session was very interesting. I tried to identify Ekaterina's programme by her jumps and elements she displayed during those minutes. Um... I failed. "Morning????", "Giselle????????". I didn't know. Well, her warm-up was very good. She didn't fall and there was that very interesting incident. Ekaterina singled the I-don't-know-jump (when I saw that I was just: "oh!", "ah!" - call me nervous was an understatement), but right after that she re-did it. A perfect double ("yes, yes!!"), after that again another attempt - a perfect triple ("YES, YES!!!"). Single, double, triple. It was great to watch.
Then, finally, her competition. When she took the ice (in that blue/purple dress. Her hair in a pony-tail bound together by a blue ribbon) I switched on my walkman to record her music... Well, I was still pondering what she would skate... Then the music started and I was delighted - Ekaterina performed a new number - the French song. During those minutes I was soooooo nervous. My hands were wet. And everytime she prepared for a jump, I got all tensed up and when she landed them perfectly you could hear me sighing outloud. A sigh of relief. I guess, it was interesting to watch me because during the rest of the competition I was sitting there quietly. Hardly applauding, didn't show any response, but during Ekaterina's programmes... As I said, I was such a bad audience. Absolutely. Well, during Ekaterina's routines, I was a nervous wreck. Oh, she skated the French song beautifully. All her jumps were perfect - so were her spins. And that first singled jump in the warm-up, was a perfect triple in competition. It was a very clean skate. So light and effortless. So nice. Okay, I didn't really like the music, but I've always prefered instrumental music over vocal songs... The audience response was warm, but not overwhelming. Ekaterina's programme is really beautiful, but unfortuntely, I just can't remember much. Her routine - compared to the ones of the other lady skaters was very modest. Her style is very pure. There was no flirting with the audience (like Witt), no little "playing with her hands" movements (like Sato). Well - you're familiar with Ekaterina/G&&G's style. Beautiful to look at - you don't worry. Marina Zueva once said about G&&G: "When we watched them, we all breathed more clearly." I think it's the same with Ekaterina. I think that happened to the Innsbruck audience, too. It breathed more clearly. Just to watch her skate - it's so relaxing - you just don't worry. It was a "peaceful" skating routine that Ekaterina performed at the Challenge (well, I was, of course, a nervous wreck, but I hope you know what I mean... ;-). She was very happy with her skate. And she definitely could be proud of herself.
Her technical marks were: 9.8; 9.7; 9.5; 9.4; 9.4; 9.4; 9.6 Her artistic's: 9.7; 9.8; 9.7; 9.8; 9.9; 9.8; 9.9
I don't know why she got those 9.4's because she didn't stumble like Sato or Witt. Hm... Ekaterina skated - as I said - a very clean programme. But Denise Biellmann won because she had more jumps and those were performed very well. When I remember correctly, it was a close decision nevertheless, because of Ekaterina's high artistic marks. Well, she got second and I was so happy. I'm so proud of her! So very, very proud.
The rest of the competition - dancers and men - I only watched half eyed because I was looking for Ekaterina. And she did come out watching the dance (Torvill/Dean won, but I liked Usova/Zhulin much better - who got second. Rahkamo/Kokko had a *very* dramatic programme. He had a digger, and she "dies" and there was "blood"... Drama on ice...) and the men competition (Rudi Galindo won - deservely. Josef Sabovcic placed behind him. Viktor Petrenko was third. Petr Barna fourth). Well, Ekaterina was sitting in that VIP lounge. Then a young man - who had a broken leg - appeared and she at once gave her seat to him. It must have been a friend of hers because they kept talking to each other. Oh, yeah, when she got out, she had her hair in a low pony-tail bound together with a white thing. It was very helpful because this way I could spot her better. Sometimes it was hard to recognize her with all those heads in my view. ;-). Well, as I said before, I was half eyed on the competition and the other eye was looking for Ekaterina. After Viktor did his part (he skated to "Jesus to a child" - not a perfect night for him). He came out and he and Ekaterina were constantly chatting with each other. It seemed that Viktor wasn't too upset about his performance because he and her were laughing and joking.
Well, after the competition it was exhibition time. Ekaterina skated to Rachmaninov's "Elegy". I just love this programme. She double-footed one of her jumps (yes, you've guessed it - I have no idea about skating technique... ;-), but it didn't matter. She skated lovely. The receiption of the audience was warm again - and again, not over-whelming. No standing o's or something like this. But, afterall, it's a serious piece of music, isn't it? The Innsbruck audience applauded every jump of every skater, but during "Elegy" they didn't cheered as loud as usual. It was rather quiet during Ekaterina's performance. I think, nobody wanted to disturb her number by applauding. In my opinion, you just could feel this great respect all had for her. The people behind me - who made comments on every skater - didn't say word. I don't know about the others, but I just could watch Ekaterina for hours. She skates so beautifully.
I didn't take many pictures of her. Okay, some, but only during the intro, warm-up and when she got out to watch the others. I didn't take any photos during her routines, because I rather wanted to watch every second of her programmes... And then, I think, the pics won't come out that well, because Ekaterina was too far away (well, I just have a very simple camera) and then I didn't want to go nearer to her. I would have felt as if I intruded her privacy. I'm happy enough to have seen her skate. It was great. Gosh, I just wished, I had a better memory. Her French routine... Just can't remember much of it. Except that ending. There's no ending pose, she just walks off into silence/applause - whatever. I thought it was beautifully done. And then, some folks have said Ekaterina was skating with a "phantom partner" in some of her routines. I've never really agreed with that statement (okay, her Mahler routine was skated with an invisable Sergei at the beginning), but I believe that statement is not true for the French song. Ekaterina is now a solo performer. And she's beautiful as such.
So, that's it...
Su-jan.
the G&G corner - Copyright © Su-jan Yip, September 1996 - 2007