Ekaterina Gordeeva - Celebration of a Life 1996

[angelfish1991]

Every time I watch this I cry very hard. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. She said she was skating with Sergei @ the beginning of it. Then it's like she looking for him but can't find him. Then she lets him go up to heaven. Then there's that burst of strength like he left that for her. But the end breaks my heart because no matter how much she stretches to the sky, she can't reach him. I'm just so glad she found happiness again.

[123Jenny90]

it must have been really hard for her emotionally to skate without her man. I can't imagine the pain of the hit she was stumbled by.

[SEVERYANKA72]

Будем помнить всю жизнь!!!

[nightswimmer99]

I'm not sure I'd call this a performance. It was something more real than that. In those few minutes, Katia managed to convey to all of us what a hundred interviews never could - what it truly meant for her to be parted from Sergei.

I don't believe that so much beauty occurs by accident, or that we feel love or loss for no greater purpose. They will see one another again.

In the meantime, RIP Sergei. Forever loved.

[1vickyyyyy]

HEART BREAKING STORY! BEAURIFUL SOLO !

[pi88lun]

ES MUY CONMOVEDOR, NO PUDE EVITAR LAS LAGRIMAS AL VER A ESTA MUJER PATINAR DE ESTA MANERA TAN HERMOSA, CREO QUE PUDIMOS SENTIR EL DOLOR QUE SENTÍA AL NO PATINAR MAS CON EL AMOR DE SU VIDA :(

[Porporinablu]

Most heartbreaking moment in sport history, and most beautiful and moving piece of art I've ever seen.

[speakingtruly]

It's been years since I last watched this. I had forgotten how sad it is. :-(

[macerface]

i think this is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen. i have never, ever seen someone skate with such emotion before. how heartbreaking.

[Irishgirl41]

it was in a single moment, that it almost felt like he was right there skating with her as her hands reached out towards where he should have been.

[ravenel2]

I remember watching this on TV -- besides being blown away by the beautiful performance, it was so shocking because we'd never seen Katia look like this -- she looked so terribly thin and sad yet so unbelievably strong, like there was nothing left of her but muscle and inner strength. She never looked like this or even skated like this before or since -- it's like she hit rock bottom and started to come back to life during this program...

[DR1980B]

It doesn't matter how many times I watch this video it brings me to tears, and when her baby pressed her arms against her own little chest, oh it just breaks me up. This was a beautiful tribute.

[patty7beth]

Unbelievably beautiful and heartbreaking.

Ethereal beauty, fragile with a core of strength at the heart.

She's so thin in this performance - she lost so much weight in the weeks after Sergei died just from grief. Probably the most eloquent artistic expression of grief I've seen.

The most poignant thing after the performance, when Katia broke down in tears, and little Daria was patting her on the back, comforting her mother...

[manderson610]

So sad and yet so hopeful. Wow. There is no way I could go on without someone I loved that much...

[ho3ld1]

Ekaterina laid her heart out on the ice for all to see. This performance marks her first tentative steps towards the next chapter in her life. To think of all she accomplished up to this point: championships, gold medals, true love and marriage, a beautiful daughter. As that chapter closed, she found new love and started another beautiful family. Katia is truly blessed and I'm sure Sergei watches her from Heaven. This performance never fails to bring tears to my eyes - the music is perfect.

[The3BlackDots]

i was crying watching this program...

[xMia311]

@MissGoldenDreams13 it is her first performance after his death.

[MissGoldenDreams13]

What a beautiful, gentle, ethereal angel... This was a heartbreaking performance, but it was so incredible. Does anyone know if this was Ekaterina's first solo appearance after Sergei's death? That's the impression I got, especially at the end.

[meghannmason]

oh gosh....i remember this so vividly. it is still so unbelievably beautiful and just heartbreaking....amazing.

[nadlerskid]

I'm watching this now for the first time, and there are no words big enough or powerful enough to describe the way I feel. Sergei's death was/is a tragedy, and Katia could not have done a more beautiful tribute to him than this. May God bless Sergei in heaven and Katia and her family here on Earth. We will NEVER forget Sergei!!! R.I.P.!!

[shellygrrl]

i'd not seen this in years. after watching this again not too long ago, i was crying myself. katia was/is a beautiful woman who had the love of her life taken from her too soon.

RIP, sergei. :(

[cyber1zen]

This brought me to tears.

[soccer4ever0991]

its the first time i have ever seen this video. my lord... words cannot describe the beauty of this program.

[blackbobcat9999]

Katia is one of the most beautiful people in the world, inside and out. I think her story is one filled with joy and heartbreak. She is my biggest role model I respect her in more ways than you can imagine. She is beautiful, talented, and witty and I think she is the best skater ever.

[tobama08]

Ekaterina is one of the most

courageous women i have ever seen.

[tobama08]

Thank you Sergei and Ekaterina

For the beauty you evoked skating togehter hand in hand.

Sergei you will never be forgotten. We know the love you

two shared together... if even for 4 min. was for eternity

etched in ice.

Rest in Peace Sergei.

[rebk4jc]

Wonderful! Very emotional performance! I just loved baby Daria's loving expression when Katia ended the performance! One of the most captivating things about this lovely family, is that they were all so affectionate and sweet to each other. If you observe how baby Daria looks at Katia, is the most beautiful gesture in the world. And see how she gently pats her back with her little fingers when her mother hugged her. God bless them all!

[Serendis]

soo touching... i´m still crying

[touchstoneaf]

this still rips me up

[Rosey212]

So moving...

[Katjuschaline]

Ich mag sie und verstehe bis heute nicht, dass Sergej Grinkow so starb.

[Crenus]

makes me cry everytime

[3DUnforgettables]

Still makes me cry. I loved G&G. They were my fave.

[pyjlds]

I cried. It was very sad to see her alone on the ice. however this is such beautiful performace.

Such heartbreaking....

[sadikov20]

I miss them. I haven't seen anyone else like them.

[HN154]

That Is True Love !!! He always loves her,always........

[Pgice234]

Wow She is wonderful my name is after her although mine is spelled different its Ekatarina, She is my leader I follow her because I want to grow up and be a Skater.. Sorry from the loss of Sergie, Such a WONDERFUL blessing to be her.. GOD BLESS TO EVERYONE thats a fan of her... Thanks for being my leader Ekaterina, wow to go through the loss of Sergie and her mother thats hard GOD BLESS!!! Ekatarina

[aleasaw]

This is beyond beautiful. I've read her book "MY Sergei" and they were a wonderful couple- so much in love. I am deeply sorry for the lost of Sergei and hope that everything is well with their family. R.I.P. Sergei

Thanks for the post!

[1985isis]

what a strong beautiful woman she is...you could feel her love her pain with every nuance, every glance, every gesture...the grief was staggering and her she was completely lost in a moment not of this time...and we were lucky to witness such a private and emotionally charged exhibition of true and everlasting love..they were ice royalty

[jonboy699]

they were a beautiful pair...this was even more moving than when they danced together...this was amazing...they will always be my favorite skaters.

[nyadeco]

Just beautiful！

ｔhanks so much for posting.

[Zelinna12]

I gave myself the worst headache ever crying so much when I watched this live back in 1996, so heartbreaking & what a rip off for Sergei to be taken that young, so unfair.

[WICKEDrocksHL26]

she's my favorite figure skater of all time--i read her book "My Sergei" and just fell in love with it, and their story. You can just tell she was thinking about Sergei when she was skating...

[mannmannt]

i remember when this yong man died. it was so sad. he was too young. so young. God must have needed him more than we did. his wife gave such a moving performance. i remember watching this when it first came out. i cried. i am crying now.

[AngelskaSings]

I swear this makes me cry still.

[sfhumoresque]

;-) Exquisitely moving! Lovely!!!!

[canesamo]

I weep as I watch this. Such beauty - such heartbreak - such strength to carry on.

[citruzzlove]

This made me cry. So sad and beautiful! And Daria is so cute.

[kiap44]

she is so beautiful its haunting GREAT !!

[tooberloober]

Just beautiful.....it just crushes me when Little Daria wipes her eyes.

[tempermental]

i love when daria tried to comfort her by patting her back softly while being carried. it's the sweetest thing....

[Russie77]

Imagine the blow to Sergei's mother - to lose first husband, and then son to the same condition. How horrible...

[Russie77]

What a strong girl. She was only 24 at the time of the programme. Such maturity, such strength. And so blessed to have Daria. Thankfully she now has a happy family with a wonderful man, Ilya Kulik.

[industrialg]

Wow, not a dry eye in the house. Excellent. I loved them & I can't imagine the level of grief to have your soulmate die like that.

[bearsbabeWA]

OK, I'm bawling now...beautiful, thanks for posting.

[pitousa13]

Ok, I don't mean to be ignorant, but I really don't understand how this is heartbreaking and beautiful. Can someone explain to me?

Her story is so heartbreaking and it was such a tragic end to a fairytale love, but I don't understand the program.

[rainers18]

Part of it is that the first part of the program, she skates as though with Sergei. You can see from her movements she is moving as though she is one half of a pair. At 00:52, she goes through the motion of taking someone's hand. But then just as she sets up to do a pair element around 01:43, she realises she is alone on ice...and it is heartbreaking to see. :(

[pitousa13]

OK I see it now. Thanks!

[iceroby72]

Yes, it was the preparation for the triple flip split... I remember when I I watched the show at that point I started to cry... but in the end she seam to express more hope then pain...

[hb2578]

You also have to understand that we had never see Katia skate by herself...ever. She had suddenly lost the love of her life, and she was grieving. So see those emotions interpreted in a skating program was unbearably sad.

[28summerland]

heartbreaking

[5291970]

I see, again thank you so much!! Your the best!!

[5291970]

thank you so much!!!!

[5291970]

does anyone have rosalyn sumners performance from a celebration of a life? Its been 13 years you know and I'm still not over Sergei's death and I never will be.

[JantjeLacht]

Thanks ...

[lauraonbway]

This is the most soulful, beautiful, heartbreaking program I have ever seen. It moves me to tears. I hadn't seen this since watching the original program on TV, so thank you for posting it.