Gordeeva & Grinkov (URS) - 1988 Calgary, Pairs' Long Program

[durangopsi]

increible, me pongo de pie para aplaudir

[EmmaInCandyland]

waw, perfect, so impressed ><

[MrMay60]

They had it all - beautiful, flawless musical skating and more than deserved the gold medal.

[clydiemor]

Watching her was pure joy. They were pure joy..so sad.. and yet so happy for You Tube to be able to still enjoy them..

[ChristineTheHippie]

G&G= pure perfection. The system doesn't matter because they were brilliant and amazing by any standard. Still miss watching them.

[jjh2456]

There is just something in the way the Russians do pairs skating. It is just immaculate. Their technique, their artistry. For 40 years the Russians owned Pairs skating. I really hope they make a comeback.

[3Axel1996]

@jjh2456 They are in the middle of a comeback, the formation of the new team after the 2010 season of Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov have been blowing the competition away this season. They may just beat the Germans for the Gold at Worlds this year. China, without Shen & Zhao and Qing & Pang, are now at a down point as the Zhangs have peaked back in 2006 and never made that final step up to be a great pair, and the others are still developing. Russia should win 2 medals at Worlds

[Enavarro523]

Well said ..... Breathtaking

[jansumi]

Miraculous. The were and always will be in a class by themselves. 

[Greg1965videos]

Beautiful skating, beautiful people.

[pelicanus11]

Id watch these two over and over> They were great not like the skating of today try hards!

[beccaaslipglosslove]

absolute perfection.

[hiphippo96]

I think that whats even better than the skating is their story...beautiful (:

[MsNoelle555]

Once in a lifetime you'll see a pair team like this.

[9akashi]

i miss the era of russian dominance

today the chinese are . turning them out but they still cannot match this G&G are still the gold standard , now the teams seem as if they are trying too hard to get every stupid twizlze in with the new rules

[mars2030earth]

@9akashi i agree 100% but this is soviet style today in russia dont exist skating like this especially in pairs!

[Savvychee]

Heartbreaking to see this now. If there ever was a perfect pair.... it's as if they BREATHED together. Little Katia and her prince. Sigh.

[SOLE2SOUL]

As beautiful as Ekaterina was (and is), whenever I watch them, then as well as now, I find my eyes invariably drawn to Sergei, his beautiful body, his calmness and his great technical skill. I think he and Anton Sikharulidze tie for the greatest male pairs skaters of all time with Hong-Bo Zhao coming in a very close second.

[shawskiknight]

Absolute favorite. Joy to watch.

[Diamonlucky]

the best skating couple I had ever seen. Loved them till this day. I never looked at pair skating again since Sergei died. I don't see anything compared to them that's better.

[TheCopper05]

She looked like she just had so much fun, and to do this at the most at this level at

such a young age. They had to be the best pair ever.

[pelicanus11]

EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINION STOP RAGING AT EACH OTHER AND YOR EGOIC NEED TO BE RIGHT!!! MAKES YOU FEEL MORE SUPERIOR. G&G IN MOSTLY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLES VIEWS DO BELIEVE THESE TWO ARE THE BEST AND WILL REMAIN SO IN THER SUPERIOR UNISON AND FLOW!!! TODAYS SKATERS CONCENTRATE TOO MUCH ON TECHNICAL ELEMENTS AND LESS ON THE WHOLE PACKAGE!

[pelicanus11]

EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINION STOP REGING AT EACH OTHER AND YOR EGOIC NEED TO BE RIGHT!!! MAKES YOU FEEL MORE SUPERIOR. G&G IN MOSTLY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLES VIEWS DO BELIEVE THESE TWO ARE THE BEST AND WILL REMAIN SO IN THER SUPERIOR UNISON AND FLOW!!! TODAYS SKATERS CONCENTRATE TOO MUCH ON TECHNICAL ELEMENTS AND LESS ON THE WHOLE PACKAGE!

[misstolson30]

I totally agree

[dspksam]

She is so young, cute, and touching here. No, not just cute but pure, and genuine, and so Russian. They both are.

[getsomelead]

it is funny that the top ice dancers are now coached by Marina Zueva.... Thanks 3Axel1996 for all of your postings

[getsomelead]

3Axel1996--Thank you for all your postings on G&G. The funny thing is that many of the current ice dancers are coached by Marina Zueva(sp??), G&G's coach. I love the russian pair coach by Artur Dmetriv(again spelling?)

Any new news on Gordeeva?

[Chutson353]

I don't ordinarily like the pairs competition much but they are wonderful to watch - I think the only pair I would say compare to the Protopopovs in quality, although their style is quite different.

[pelicanus11]

Quality and fluidity, smoothness and perfection. No pairs skater can ever match the best which is Goordeeva and Gringov!!

[MissFit29]

The amazing thing about these 2 is that their skating technique was even better in 1994. As perfect as they were here, their lifts were about 10x better later in their career. But their speed and control is unreal.

[kr35t6]

this was the time when Sergei fell in love with Katia... so sweet....

[judeluo]

I believe this is the most technically perfect long program I have watched in the pair's event ever. Not a single skid or wobble and just one continuous flow through and through

[neda61]

I never see this quality in today's figure skating!

[TheCopper05]

@neda61 Oh I agree with you. They were just perfect for each other. One complemented the other. These

two made this peformance look easy and very graceful. This is a perfect example of pair skating. Love it.

[Soccerooss]

Katia and Sergei left Stanislav Leonovich to be coached and choreographed by Igor and Marina. After they won their world title, they used their new found influence to replace him b/c they hated him, Igor and Marina took over.

[oravaskvirel]

@Soccerooss This is incorrect. They never left Leonovich while skating as amateurs and they were never coached by Igor Spilbandt. It was Stanislav Zhuk whom then hated and left for Leonovich and Zoueva.

[TheTolepainter1]

They were simply perfection. Greatest pair team to ever lace up skates!

[luvableniki879]

You don't see that much grace on ice skating today has you did when they skated!!!

[manderson610]

She was soooo tiny!!!

[Jaylasplenty]

Simply Beautiful

[maribel2]

this is truly perfect skating. i don't think they were ever as sincronized and as breathtaking as they were here. they were always a magical pair but this was really IT.

[jmpvfb007]

They were perfection :( AND SHE WON BATTLE OF THE BLADES TONIGHT TOO! Good for her. She skated for Sergei without a doubt.

[3Axel1996]

@208327650 And that's a shame about your opinions about skaters like Weir, because there are SO many skaters and coaches like Weir who have to hide their true selves in order to not shake up the figure skating establishment and maintain the conservative family-oriented environment of the sport.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

@208327650 I agree Weir was shamelessly underscored. Should have been ahead of Chan for a start. For the rest, I'm with 3Axel1996 all the way..."Influence a child so negatively", really? Its that type of comment I find disgraceful. If young skaters and their parents are thick enough to be put off by JW's style and personality, it's entirely their problem. His job isn't to be a poster-boy for ISU. Besides, no other skater I know of has such a major fanbase, which disproves your point.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

@208327650 Yes I'm not a huge fan of Evan's, he can't help being tall though...The way he moves isn't terribly graceful, he'd look better holding his poses a bit longer instead, like most guys would indeed. I heard a rumour that ABC TV network wanted a USA gold or they wouldn't renew their broadcasting contract with ISU...sad but believable.

[3Axel1996]

@SvetlanaMillionaya It's a rumor.  All of the ISU skating events -- those rights have been secured by NBC TV through to the end of the 2014 season.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

@3Axel1996 I stand corrected. Glad to be wrong on that one actually!

[3Axel1996]

@208327650 Weir is not a disgrace. There's nothing wrong with Johnny just wanting to be himself. What's a disgrace was Skate Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee demanding that the Canadian male skaters butch up their routines in order to draw in a larger audience. Weir does that by being himself already. Had other skaters done this with themselves in the past, this would not be a topic of discussion today at all. Weir's a pioneer for generations to come.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

@208327650 oh God yes I know what you mean! I'd have said windmills rather than airplanes though, because of the way everyone is flailing their arms about, you can tell it's on the ISU wishlist to see lots of upper body involvment...why they choose to do this with rigid arms and choppy movements is anyone's guess. Who started that horrid trend? Was especially awful in men's in Vancouver, only about 4-5 guys were enjoyable to watch I think.

[kookykrumbs]

I just watched the pairs that finished in the top 5 for the Calgary Olympics... not one came close to the perfection of G&G.

[fanmelua]

anybody knows what is the name of the music of the second half is? Please!!!

[rickram1961]

It doesn't get any better than this! 100% Perfection all the way!

[shineluvslambiel]

great skating, but the program itself is really far from memorable... the music cuts are terrible.

[usernamevidio]

These two were utter perfection.  How can you watch them and not believe in "soulmates." RIP, Sergei.

[laudese]

she reminds me of natalie portman

[ThePingShowJL]

My favorite of performance of their entire career and this the first time I've seen it! I just finished Ekaterina's book memoir about their life together from the day they met till he died and the courage she took to go into singles skating.

[muscleboi4use]

Likewise I had to watch that again. They are/were wonderful together. Their trainers were Marina Zoueva and Igor Shipilband, who train Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Meryl Davis and Charile White: - the 2010 Olympic Gold and Sliver medallists in Ice Dance!!

[stanhope84]

@muscleboi4use Igor Shpilband never trained Gordeeva and Grinkov. Marina Zoueva was their choreographer and their coach was Stanislav Leonovich.

[muscleboi4use]

@stanhope84 Really? Weill, I never knew that... thank you for that... I love learning new things. It is interesting though, just how influential her style is: the softness of the knees the smooth edge work, focus on unison and conveying the "connection" in the team, all of this has translated VERY well to Ice Dance and V&M, D&W and now I think the Shibutanis (and her other teams)... once again, thank you for the information.

[oravaskvirel]

@muscleboi4use Zoueva has never been G&G's coach. She has been their choreographer. Their unique technique, the smooth edge work, focus on unison originate from the Moscow school of Stanislav Shuk (Irina Rodnina was also his student). Unfortunately, G&G were the last representatives, the school having been decimated with the collapse of USSR.

[muscleboi4use]

@oravaskvirel Once again, THIS is one of the reasons I like You Tube so much. I find out that there is alot I don't know and I learn things! Thank you for the information. I am grateful.

[deb90566]

Absolutely exquisite.

[kamwrites]

THE best pair team, ever. EVER. No one can touch them.

[nadlerskid]

@kamwrites I agree 150%!! Such a tragedy that Sergei died!

[KiaOra53]

The best of the best!

[sparkers70]

What I always found as amazing as their lifts, was how gently she came down from them. It was as though he was placing a precious gem on a velvet pillow. Pair skating has never been so good as when these two were together. Rest in peace, Sergei.

[rickram1961]

This was hands down one of the biggest highlights of the 1988 Winter Games. When G & G hit the ice is always a magical moment to see. I partically love this routine to all the classical music.

[intldawn]

Hard to imagine that their daughter is older now than Katya was when they won that gold medal. How time flies.

[trackaghost]

I remember watching this live and was dumfounded that they didn't receive all perfect marks.

[TheCopper05]

@trackaghost I agree. I watched it live on television and thought that they should have all perfect marks. Probably one of the best long programs a pair has ever done.

[toodles53719]

WOW, this is just incredible! The joy on her face just brought tears to my eyes. I remember this and have never seen anything like it since.

[julietmv]

Just the speed in the first section alone is amazing. And the sweet little lift at 3:45 is absolutely heartbreaking. Definitely makes me nostalgic for my days as a little girl growing up skating.

[Rous1an]

хорошо что тогда не было современной системы оценки, а то могли бы и не выиграть

[oneblinddog]

Svetlana - I agree with you. There is no pair out there, and hasn't been, that can do what these two did. It's not nostalgia, I've been watching every year for another pair with this beauty & grace and there are none. Watching the current Olympics, I am reminded again of how sorely we all miss Sergei & Katya's skating.

[kiman2]

Soooooo smooth. The jumps look as if they were just gliding.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

Just had to watch this again to check that it isn't just nostalgia that makes me think none of the top 5 pairs of today can hold a candle to them. Now I'm certain. Their unison is out of this word, every little move matches, music, choreography, technique, interpretation: still miles ahead, 22 years on. Now they try to do the hardest moves to get points, when these moves aren't even beautiful to watch, even the best don't skate 'as one', subtlety has gone out the window, replaced by gymnastics.

[oravaskvirel]

@SvetlanaMillionaya So true! You have just put my thoughts on air. They still remain absolutely unbeatable in terms of everything, from the technique to the age, to include all other possible aspects: unison, grace, easiness... "still miles aheas, 22 years on"- sooo true!

[NinjaBooKitty]

@SvetlanaMillionaya Nicely put. I couldn't agree more. I miss the old days of skating when no one had money, endorsements, even in some cases proper training facilities. They did for the love of the sport and pure competition and would die if they couldn't.

[sytec99]

@SvetlanaMillionaya

I just watched the European Championships in Bern, and until now, 2011, no pair is comparable to these two, unique..... greatest of all

[oravaskvirel]

@sytec99 I agree. G&G will hardly ever be beaten in terms of the flow, speed and synchronicity. They never stop but are swiftly sliding to the finish as if in a one single move, with all necessary elements been interweived. No exaggerated chaotic arm movements, no labored movements. Katia is truly enjoying the process, whereas others tend to wear a scary or worried look rather than a happy smile.

[sylviepete]

@SvetlanaMillionaya

I can't believe idiots come on here and compare this team to pairs of today; it's a totally different sport! New rules and guideslines. It’s 23 years later. Their crashy twist would get a negative GOE and there is no way their throw would be considered bigger than the German’s triple flip. It's the same reason you don’t compare Sonia Heine to Yuna Kim. It's ridiculous. There were good in their day and now it’s over.

[3Axel1996]

@sylviepete Yes, but pairs these days lost the unison, the chemistry, the flow and the speed across the ice because of the CoP judging system. BTW, their triple twist lift is more difficult because she does twist in the air vertically, the proper way it's done. Twisting in the air in a more horizontal manner is improper technique, and of course, would be easier to catch.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

@sylviepete I think 3Axel1996 has corrected you enough on the technical side of things. I belive he- and myself, if I can be so bold- have forgotten more about skating than you will ever know. Belittling the skaters of yesterday says a lot about your "understanding" of this sport. Skating has evolved, not always for the best, and if you can't appreciate the beauty of G&G, I pity you. But as you can't make a point without calling people who don't agree with you idiots, actually, you can f- off!!

[sylviepete]

@SvetlanaMillionaya G&G were great in the time they were in and it's over. Learn to appreciate skating and skaters in the time they are competing be it then or now. Sports change; deal with it. If you don't like the new skaters; stop watching but the top skaters of today will be considered just as good as G&G if not better. You have forgotten more about skating than I will ever know? Laughable! Live in the past if you must; if you can't appreciate the beauty of today's skaters, I pity you.

[SvetlanaMillionaya]

@sylviepete Laughable, but I'm the one laughing! I certainly don't despise the skaters of today, it's how the new system affects pairs I have a problem with. No-one wants to learn anything from an aggressive contradictor like you. You basically did a copy and paste of my arguments and turned them against me, that doesn't work...poor debating skills babe...

[dspksam]

@SvetlanaMillionaya Yeah, and just look how young, cute, and touching she was! He was such a dear, too. Beautiful couple.

[shawskiknight]

@SvetlanaMillionaya You are SOOOO right.



[kaycutie1]

Amazing couple. Skating hasn't been the same since Sergi's death.

[drewson88]

Simply Amazing as always!!