Idols of the 80's - figure skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov

The first appearance on the ice of Sergei Grinkov and Ekaterina Gordeeva immediately made this duet one of the most popular among fans of figure skating. Behind the sporting destiny and personal relations of skaters with interest watched the whole country. About their triumphant victories, a happy life and a family tragedy, we'll tell in this article.

First steps on ice

In the 80-ies. XX century in the Soviet Union, figure skating was at the peak of popularity. Parents actively gave their children in the section on figure skating. The exception was not and the parents of future Olympic champions Sergei Grinkov and Ekaterina Gordeeva.

Sergei Grinkov first time was on the rink at the age of 5 years. His alma-mother was the figure skating school at the sports club CSKA.

Katya did not immediately get into figure skating. From the age of three she performed in the Kalinka team, successfully passing the competitive selection to the ballet school at the Bolshoi Theater. Her father, the dancer of the famous Moiseyev dance ensemble, dreamed that his daughter would follow in his footsteps. But fate decreed that Katyusha was also in the school of figure skating CSKA.

Given the sports data of young athletes, the coaches decided to form a dance duo and put them together. This happened in 1981. Since then, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov were inseparable.

Katya was 11 years old, Sergei - 15. In a very short time, under the guidance of coaches V. Zakharov and N. Shevalovskaya, they won their first serious victories.

History of personal relationships

The first time Sergei Grinkov kissed Catherine, when they were visiting his friend athlete Alexander Fadeev. It happened in his summer residence.
Then the sports duet of Gordeev-Grinkov went to competitions in England. Already here, away from home and the parents' tutelage, genuine feelings began to spring up between them.

On one of the trainings, Katya was seriously injured. Sergei stumbled at the time of support, when the partner was high above his head. The skater fell, hitting her head against the ice. After this incident, Sergei began to be more anxious about Katya. They are from a sports duo turned into a pair.

When Sergei Grinkov got an apartment, he suggested that Katya live together and marry him. The development of the history of personal relationships between skaters was followed by the whole country. Speaking on the ice, the guys seemed to shine with happiness. Harmony between them helped in conquering the pedestals. When Catherine became pregnant, the couple decided that they would go to America to give birth. So, on September 11, 1992, their wonderful daughter Daria appeared.

Sergei Grinkov was a loving husband and a caring father. With Catherine, they were very happy, because they loved each other, lighting up their feelings all around.

Sports success skaters

Appearing on the ice arena, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov immediately became the new stars of pair figure skating. In 1985 they won their first junior world championship. In 1986, climbed to the highest step of the podium of the world championship. This success skaters later repeated as many as three times. Fourteen-year old Katya Gordeeva became the youngest winner of the title of world champion for the first time in the history of figure skating.

In 1987 Grinkov Sergey Mikhailovich and his partner in sports and in life Ekaterina Gordeeva won the USSR championship in figure skating. At international tournaments, they performed the most complicated element for the first time. The twist that they did contained four turns.

In 1988, they became the first at the Olympics in Calgary. In the same year and in 1990 in a piggy bank of their awards there were gold medals of European championships.

In the perestroika period Gordeeva and Grinkov left for America.

The tragedy in the family of famous figure skaters

20.11.1995, during training before the upcoming tour of the show "Stars on Ice", Sergei lost consciousness. Not recovering, he died in the hospital. The cause of Sergei Grinkov's death is a blockage of the arteries of the heart. The day before his death, the athlete suffered a microinfarction.

Sergei Grinkov was buried in Moscow, at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. To conduct an outstanding figure skater came thousands of fans of his talent.

After suffering grief, Katya Gordeeva was able to live further for the sake of Dasha's daughter. She met the figure skater Ilya Kulik, who became her new partner on the ice and in life. In 2008, the figure skater took part in the TV show "Ice Age-3".