Ekaterina Gordeeva facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ekaterina Gordeeva
Gordeeva in 2012
Born	Ekaterina Alexandrovna Gordeeva (1971-05-28) 28 May 1971 (age 54) Moscow, USSR
Spouse(s)	Sergei Grinkov ​ ​ (m. 1991; d. 1995)​ Ilia Kulik ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2016)​ David Pelletier ​ ​ (m. 2020)​
Children	2
Ekaterina Gordeeva Personal information Country represented  Soviet Union  Russia Partner Sergei Grinkov Coach Marina Zoueva Stanislav Zhuk Retired 1994 Medal record Pairs' Figure skating Representing  Russia Olympic Games Gold 1994 Lillehammer Pairs European Championships Gold 1994 Copenhagen Pairs Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1988 Calgary Pairs World Championships Gold 1986 Geneva Pairs Gold 1987 Cincinnati Pairs Gold 1989 Paris Pairs Gold 1990 Halifax Pairs Silver 1988 Budapest Pairs European Championships Gold 1988 Prague Pairs Gold 1990 Leningrad Pairs Silver 1986 Copenhagen Pairs

Ekaterina "Katia" Alexandrovna Gordeeva (Russian: Екатерина Александровна Гордеева) was born on May 28, 1971. She is a famous figure skater from the Soviet Union and Russia. With her late husband, Sergei Grinkov, she became an Olympic Champion twice, in 1988 and 1994.

Katia and Sergei were also four-time World Champions (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990). They won the European Championship three times (1988, 1990, 1994). They were known as one of the greatest pair skating teams ever. After Sergei passed away, Katia continued to skate as a solo performer.

Katia's Early Life

Ekaterina Gordeeva was born in Moscow, Russia, on May 28, 1971. At that time, Russia was part of the Soviet Union. Her father, Alexander Alexeyevich Gordeev, was a dancer. Her mother, Elena Lvovna Gordeeva, worked as a teletype operator.

Katia has a younger sister. Her father often helped her with her movements when she was a little girl.

Her Amazing Pairs Skating Career

Gordeeva and Grinkov on an Azerbaijani stamp from 1998

Katia started figure skating when she was just four years old. She joined a special sports school in Moscow. When she was young, it was hard to find small skates in the Soviet Union. So, she had to wear many socks inside skates that were too big for her feet!

In 1981, when Katia was 10, she was paired with 14-year-old Sergei Grinkov. At first, Sergei sometimes missed practice. Their coach wanted Katia to find a new partner, but she really wanted to skate with Sergei. So, they found a new coach instead.

Winning Junior and World Titles

Katia and Sergei quickly became a strong team. They won the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1985. The very next year, they won their first World Figure Skating Championships title. This was amazing because it's rare for a team to win both junior and senior world titles back-to-back.

They won the World Championships again in 1987. In 1988, they won a gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Canada. They were the youngest pair team ever to win Olympic gold! They continued to win World Championships in 1989 and 1990.

A Special Skating Move

Katia and Sergei were known for their amazing skills. They were one of the few teams to successfully do a "quadruple twist lift" in competitions. This is a very difficult move where Sergei would throw Katia high in the air. She would do a split, then spin four times before he caught her. They stopped doing this move because it was very tiring and didn't give them much higher scores.

From Skating Partners to Life Partners

By 1989, Katia and Sergei's skating partnership grew into a romantic relationship. They shared their first kiss on New Year's Eve 1988. They got married in April 1991.

In September 1992, their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born. After Daria's birth, Katia quickly returned to training for skating shows.

Olympic Return and Tragedy

A new rule allowed professional skaters to compete in the Olympics again. So, Katia and Sergei decided to return for the 1993–94 season. In 1994, they won their second Olympic gold medal in Norway.

After these Olympics, they went back to professional skating. They moved to Simsbury, Connecticut, in the United States. They were headliners for the "Stars on Ice" tour. Katia was even named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People Magazine that year.

Sadly, on November 20, 1995, while practicing for a show, Sergei collapsed on the ice. He passed away at age 28 from a sudden heart attack. Doctors later found out he had a heart problem he was born with.

Katia and Sergei are remembered as one of the most influential and successful pair teams in figure skating history. People often call them "G&G." They were known for how smoothly they skated, making almost no sound on the ice.

Katia's Solo Skating Career

Gordeeva performs solo in Smucker's Stars on Ice in 2007.

In February 1996, Katia returned to the ice, but this time as a solo skater. Her first performance was a tribute to Sergei. She said she felt like she was skating with him that night, feeling "double strong."

Later that year, she wrote a book about her life with Sergei called My Sergei: A Love Story. A TV movie based on the book was made in 1998. She also wrote another book in 1998 called A Letter for Daria. Katia shared that her time of competing in the Olympics was over, and now skating was her job.

Life After Competition

Katia continued to tour with "Stars on Ice" as a solo skater until 2000. She took a break to have her second daughter, Elizaveta Ilinichna Kulik, in June 2001. Katia has returned to the tour many times as a guest skater.

She also competed as a professional solo skater, doing very well. While she didn't return to pair skating full-time, she did perform pair moves in shows with other skaters.

Katia has also worked with big companies like Target, even having two perfumes named "Katia." She appeared in holiday movies and a "Got Milk?" advertisement with her daughter Daria.

In 2003, Katia skated on the ice with Daria for the first time. They performed together in several shows. In 2007, Katia, Daria, and her younger daughter Liza all skated together. All three are now amateur skaters.

In 2007, Katia starred in "Skate for the Heart," a show to raise awareness about heart disease. She skated in memory of Sergei. She also honored her father, who passed away from a heart attack in 2008, in another performance.

Katia briefly returned to pairs skating for a Russian TV show called Ice Age in 2008–09. She and her partner, Egor Beroev, won the show. In 2010, she won another skating reality show called Battle of the Blades with hockey player Valeri Bure. Katia joined the "Stars on Ice" 25th Anniversary Tour in November 2010.

Besides skating, Katia has also started coaching and creating skating routines. She is currently a coach at the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club in Canada.

Katia's Family Life

Katia and Sergei Grinkov were married in April 1991. Their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Gordeeva-Grinkova, was born on September 11, 1992. Sergei passed away in November 1995.

On June 15, 2001, Katia had her second daughter, Elizaveta (Liza) Ilinichna Kulik. Liza's father is Ilia Kulik, who won the 1998 Olympic men's singles title. Katia and Ilia married in June 2002.

Katia and her family lived in California for several years before moving to Connecticut. They later returned to California. The family spoke Russian at home and often visited Russia.

In 2012, Katia and Ilia opened a skating rink and training center in California. Katia and Ilia divorced in 2016.

Katia married Canadian figure skater David Pelletier on July 25, 2020. David was also an Olympic pairs champion in 2002. They now live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Programs

Paired with Sergei Grinkov.

Results

Paired with Sergei Grinkov.

See also

In Spanish: Yekaterina Gordéyeva para niños