Gordeeva and Grinkov

With all the Olympics hoopla, I've had my TV on more than usual this week. I've always been especially fascinated by figure skating--the beauty, the athleticism, the power.

I remember watching Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov sometime in the early 90s. For some reason, I think I saw them on TV while spending a night at Grandma Bean's house. This would have had to be 1991 or 1992--not an Olympic year, so maybe I'm mixing up memories.

Anyway, I remember seeing a little clip about them that the network had put together. Their story was so sweet--paired as figure skaters at ages 10 and 14, they literally grew up together, and grew into a romance that saw them married and having a baby girl.

They won so many awards--including two Olympic golds. But what made them so amazing on the ice was not so much their abilities--though impressive--but rather their incredible love story.

There is something about the tall, handsome Sergei and the tiny, almost childlike Katia that is so very beautiful. Perhaps its his oh-so-serious concentration as he tosses her high in the air and effortlessly catches her, or the look of total adoration on her face as she skates with him. The total trust they developed over the years together is evident in their skating.

Tragically, Sergei died in 1995 of a heart attack. He was only 28 years old. He left his 24-year-old widow and their toddler daughter behind. The skating world was crushed--one of its most cherished pairs would never skate together again. I remember reading the headlines and feeling terrible.

My interest in figure skating is the fleeting sort--I watch it when I find the US or World Championships, and I love watching the Olympics. So I spent many years not really thinking of Gordeeva and Grinkov, only noting that she finally skated on her own in a tribute to him, and since has been a single skater. She has since remarried--to Ilia Kulik, a marvelous fellow Russian figure skater--and had another daughter. I am glad she has found happiness. But oh, how beautiful she and Sergei were together.

There are many YouTube tributes to "G&G," and I spent some time last night watching as many as I could find. I ended up in tears. Here is one of the best ones, a montage set to Fergie's "Finally." Even though the quality of the old TV recordings is not quite as HD as we're used to, you can see the incredible skill and beauty in the skating, and the love that positively radiates between Katia and her Sergei. I challenge you not to tear up. Watch to the very end--there is a darling clip after the credits.