Gordeeva and Grinkov 1994 Olympics Long Program

[uncchristine99]

I still think what I thought in 1994. M&D should have won gold. I think M&D had a lot of negative press around their partnership and that hurt them more than anything else. People wanted to buy into G&G's fairy-tale and they did. While they had glorious lifts and a whopping 3twist at the opening, I didn't feel so much passion as much as just checking the elements off.

[PollyRubezhanskaya96]

I`m not agree! How you can compare B&S with G&G who was the best pair ever existed? Nobody could glide like G&G, nobody did such difficult jumps and throws. Watch B&S programs: she always had a fall on her jumps. And G&G was always flawless. Their Moonlight sonata - it`s not a program. It`s an art. If G&G competed now, they would beat everybody, even Savchenko/Szolkowy.

G&G - the best pair in a skating history.

[TheMusoka]

i like how they skate as if they were one and at the same time so into each other. such love like their seems so pure and untouchable especially in today's generation.

[macerface]

wow. their jumps are SO STRONG. that throw triple sal was seriously perfect.

[getsomelead]

I like that the ending of their romeo and julet program is the beginning of their moonlight sonato program

[faeryquene]

Hauntingly beautiful, romantic, and majestic to this day. My favorite G&G program. RIP Sergei. One day you'll see your Katia again. ♥♥

[blackmnmpink]

OMG, they made an awesome couple, the way she trust him while skating! JUST BEAUTIFUL! RIP SERGIE! <3

[MrFieston]

espectacular perfecto

[Ceres7187]

I'm tired of the Moskvina fans. Let us enjoy this program. Always whit biased coments.

[parrales94]

I MISS SERGEI!!! he was amazing RIP Sergei :(

[Fabstaire]

@kemmies120

That is so true. With Sergei's death I find i don't hold my breath waiting for the next competition as I used to. Without them and without a pair of that olympian quality, pairs is just really, pedestrian. B&Z I thought had promise to tread the same territory but she was too mentally fragile. Katia had amazing mental strength.

[LLLLutz]

@oravaskvirel

B&S actually had better speed, flow and lines than G&G and far more technical difficulty. The only thing G&G were better is the lifts. In all the rest - B&S beat G&G easily, especially in the choreography and creativity area

[LLLLutz]

@oravaskvirel There's no different interpretations to flow and lines and I find B&S being better at those, including the edging. The fact that they were able to skate as fast as G&G and sometimes faster, doing far more difficult transitions and skating in closer holds, means they did have better flow. Technical difficulty is sbs triples vs axels, loop throw vs axel throw, and yes - difficult transitions/choreography always make the skating more difficult .

[Porporinablu]

@LLLLutz "I find". That's your interpretation. Get over it.

[espinaca79]

@LLLLutz Well, I'm not sure. B&S were a different pair than G&G. The former being faster and had more difficulty. The later were perfect at what they did. Just compare the way Anton used to throw Elena: lack of form, wild throws, and tight lands by Elena. G&G had even more passion, something we did not see from B&S in 2001-2002

[TheElePa]

@LLLLutz I say to you in italian: MA NON DICIAMO CAZZATE......

[russianskatingfan]

@LLLLutz Please. B&S had a horrible triple twist where they crashed together. G&G have much more slid throws, B&S have quite unsteady ones. G&G also have more consistent jumps. B&S were dominated by S&P, and you think they are better than G&G haha.

[helenawtry]

Un programa perfecto, patinan como uno sólo

[AnonymousOneThree]

Ahh, I remember watching this. I was in 7th grade when I saw in the paper that he'd died. :(

[Herodotus3]

I will never forget this performance.

This pair will never be matched for perfection.

[thespa77]

I would just melt watching them.

[tvfanatic14]

They just don't make them like this anymore. RIP Sergei.

[Marusyafish]

замечательные!

[bahseila]

lindo!

[Each21]

They were magical. Both so beautiful. But there were 3 little mistakes that should have cost them some deductions and I don't think any were taken. Sergei "bobbled" one landing, singled a combination jump and was quite out of unison with her on the side by side spins. I always believed Mishkutenok and Dmitriev deserved the Gold that day.

[annabelleleetoo]

I remember that competition and as much as I loved Goordeeva and Grinkov, I too always believed that Mishkutenok and Dmitriev should have gotten the gold for sure. They had no mistakes and their programs had a little more "oomph" to them. The judges just out and out screwed Mishkutenok and Dmitriev.

[TheAphrodite2222]

I agree 100%.

[Fabstaire]

@Each21

With all due respect I could not disagree more. Judging a program is not just about being "mistake" free. It's about the full package. I would rather watch this pair and this program even if they had 5 large mistakes than M&D with a "flawless" program.

The lyricism, speed, unison, line, flow, musicality, artistry, just everything G&G bring automatically puts them higher up than any other pairs in history, period.

[oravaskvirel]

@Fabstaire Exactly. To the crowd the matter is simple: a fall or no fall. Flamboyant choreography is often meant to hide the lack of the quality. G&G could copy M&D's choreography, if they suddenly desired that, while M&D could never copy G&G's unison, fluidity, silent edges etc. Dmitriev could not even lift Natalia properly, that is why they needed all those tricks which made the crowd wail but in no way could deceive the judges.

[Fabstaire]

@oravaskvirel

you hit it, "Flamboyant choreography is often meant to hide the lack of the quality." Could not have been better said.

[Lemonka]

Oh gosh, I was a child when they ruled the world... Still miss them so much. RIP Sergei...

[tammimarie]

This is amazing, I will always remember this.

[Ezrateach]

Well, I respectfully disagree with you. I just watched Mishkutenkok and Dmitriev skate their long program at Lillehammer, and as good and G & G were, I think that they were not the best that night; their fellow Russians were.

The video is on You Tube. Check it out.

[queenredspecial]

@Ezrateach I agree. I LOVED Mishkotenok and Dmitriev -- the passion, the grit. They really were something. But this is, nonetheless, perfection.

[LGailey]

This is my favorite pairs performance of all time...with no close second. Favorite skaters, favorite music, even favorite costumes. And the context makes it all the more heartrending. Sergei will never be forgotten.

[Fabstaire]

LG i agree, despite the 2 errors. With them it was about the actual skating; the movement in perfect unison across the ice, the connection, the elegance. Just a lot of things that pairs just don't have anymore as was evidenced last night in the SP at Vancouver. They have almost indefinable qualities that make someone great instead of just good.

[tammimarie]

@LGailey agreed

[Qbendanny]

Magical,They always seemed to skate slightly above the ice.

[natpakpartdeux]

The amazing thing is that even all these years later, their technical content (even with some of the stumbles) and their amazing artistry would have them still be very competitive today. Truly one of the best pairs teams of all time.

[froggirl80]

They were romeo and juliet on ice, 'nuff said

[smallpea8]

There was just something about them. This is not perfect but you just can't take your eyes off of them.

[faeryquene]

Like shimmering diamonds on ice.

The greatest Pairs team ever imo. G&G.♥

[Darienlover999]

So Beautiful...

[MrBabalula]

strong and delicate skate. so nature. unique pair

[mamadoenut]

With G&G, I can't take my eyes off Katia and with M&D, it is Artur I tend to look at.

[koolaidnhemlock]

yup, artur was the star, and in pairs, the woman should be the main attraction

[sloppyjakekisses]

Mesmerizing!

[mamadoenut]

They sure move like shadows of each other.

But agreed natalia and artur was amazing and also deserved gold.

[Blondetimes78]

The way today's pairs skaters skate is so...jarring. There's nothing smoothe or natural about their skating like there is with G&G. Their choreography flowed and they were always in unison with one another. The pairs now just look like two singles skaters doing jumps and tricks together.

[myrtle0v0]

I love their skating. Such a graceful performance.

[Aisha2623]

Simply beautiful

[MelleAndKev]

Does Scott Hamilton really need to tell us how great they are? I mean seriously the performance speaks for itself...

I really wish they wouldn't let him commentate. He annoys me.

[Kareny27]

"It's the story of their life they're telling..."

That part is more annoying than Hamilton lol

[MelleAndKev]

Yea, that quote definitely takes the gold for being the most annoying....

American commentators in general are annoying and they love to listen to themselves talk. I'd rather here the music than have something painfully obvious pointed out. The Canadian ones are just as bad... (I believe it's Tracy Wilson whose commentating here.) I really hate that self righteous bitch Sandra Bezic with a passion. I REALLY wish they wouldn't let her do commentary... she's far worse than Scott Hamilton.

[libralady1010]

Amen on the Hamilton/Wilson/Bezic gang-notice I saved the best for last. Is it just me or is there something not right @ letting a color commentator COMMENT @ a program SHE choreographed? She didn't choreograph THIS one but there have been plenty others. PLEASE - NETWORKS: Find somebody else. ABC did for decades!! Peggy Fleming has a much nicer commentary. I don't always agree w/her but there's no conflict of interest. With Bezic there most definitely IS a conflict.

[tinymavy]

I meant Scott of course.

[bose1208]

Actually this wasn't perfection. Sergei misstepped on one of his jumps and singled another. Although it was a very good routine, it shows the subjectivity that plays a huge role in figure skating judging.

[JPPT1974]

Sergei left us way, way, too young. Missing him after 13 years! RIP Sergei!

[hatula87]

Technically it wasn't the best skate of that night.

[libralady1010]

I like G&G but you're absolutely right hatula87. Technically it had some obvious errors. The Olympic Champions don't single a salchow, have 7 seconds when they're not in sync.Getting a 6.0?

Ridiculous. All this passion vs. perfection. They weren't perfect that night. That said, think all of us would give anything to have Sergei back w/us and Natalia skating w/Artur again.I've said it before: THIS should've been the " 2 Gold Medal Olympics." Not the sheer idiocy we saw in 2002.