Ekaterina "Katia" Alexandrovna Gordeeva (; born 28 May 1971) is a Soviet and Russian figure skater. With her late husband Sergei Grinkov, she is the 1988 and 1994 Olympic Champion, a four-time World Champion (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990), a three-time European Champion (1988, 1990, 1994), the 1990 Goodwill Games champion, 1987 Soviet champion, and 1994 Russian champion in pair skating. After Grinkov's death, Gordeeva continued performing as a singles skater.

Early life

Gordeeva was born on 28 May 1971 in Moscow, Russia, then part of the Soviet Union. Her father, Alexander Alexeyevich Gordeev, was a dancer for the Alexandrov Song and Dance Ensemble, while her mother, Elena Lvovna Gordeeva, is a teletype operator for TASS. Gordeeva has a younger sister.

By 1989, the skating partnership had grown into a romantic relationship. They shared their first kiss on New Year's Eve 1988 and were married in April 1991. Their state wedding was on 20 April and the church wedding was on 28 April. From November 1991 through April 1992, they toured with Stars on Ice for the first time. On 11 September 1992, their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born in Morristown, New Jersey. Shortly after Daria's birth, Gordeeva resumed training for the new season of Stars on Ice, which premiered in November 1992 and continued through the following April.

When a new ISU rule allowed professional skaters to regain their Olympic eligibility, Gordeeva and Grinkov decided to return to amateur competition for the 1993–94 season and skate in the Olympics. In 1994, the couple won their second Olympic gold medal in Lillehammer, Oppland, Norway. That year, Gordeeva was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People Magazine.

Gordeeva married Canadian figure skater and 2002 Olympic pairs champion David Pelletier on 25 July 2020. They live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Programs

Paired with Sergei Grinkov.

A Letter for Daria

The children's book A Letter for Daria was written by Gordeeva for her daughter. It is an autobiographical letter from mother to daughter about childhood memories, skating, differences between Russian and American culture and the importance of family. It includes several pictures from Gordeeva's personal collection.

References

  • Brennan, Christine (21 November 1995). "Olympic Skater Sergei Grinkov Dies at 28". The Washington Post.
  • Gordeeva, Ekaterina with E. M. Swift (1996). My Sergei: A Love Story. Warner Books Inc. .
  • Gordeeva, Ekaterina (1998). A Letter for Daria. Little Brown & Co. .
  • Gordeeva and Grinkov Corner website
  • A Kind of Magic
  • Pairs on Ice: Gordeeva & Grinkov