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My Sergei; A Love Story

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First things first -- grab your hankies and prepare yourself. The journey you are about to embark upon will leave you breathless and sobbing hopelessly.

Of course, we all remember the story of the sudden death of Ekaterina's true love and ice skating partner, Sergei Grinkov. What a heartbreaking day that was -- I didn't even know who they were but felt my own heart rip away anyway. Reading this book brought it all back to me with as much power and poignancy as if I had heard it for the first time. My Sergei chronicles the life of Ekaterina Gordeeva, young ice skater and Olympic medalist, from pre-skating to post-Sergei with lots of smiles and tears in between.

This book is not just for the ice skating fanatic or fans of Ekaterina and Sergei. It is for anyone who has lost someone special in their life or has ever felt a pure and true love like Katia did for Sergei. You will be weeping like a baby, but it is so very worth it.

Performing in their flawless, elegant, and unique style, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov were the most celebrated pairs skaters of all time. Tragically, Their fairy-tale perfect story came to an end on November 20, 1995 when Sergei died of a heart attack at the age of twenty-eight. This book was appealing for its skating theme and tragic love story. Ice skating has always been a beautiful, elegant sport to all who watch, but we rarely know the full story behind the athletes we see. To learn about this couple who were initially partners on the ice and then partners in life seemed very interesting. They were two soul mates who were partners on and off the ice.

Ekaterina Gordeeva was a tiny, serious and very shy girl of eleven who was always obedient. Sergei Grinkov was a fun-loving, outgoing boy of fifteen. Both were talented and dedicated. They were mismatched kids paired together as chance. Ekaterina, or Katia as people call her, recalls this as the start of their relationship, although she knew none of it at the time.

Gordeeva and Grinkov (G & G as they were known) they won four World Championships and two Olympic gold medals. At their first Olympics, Katia did not think they really deserved a gold medal. They were with a strict coach who had them do plain non-original programs. There was no expressive movements or technical merit. Socially, Katia's experience was negative because she was only sixteen. She did not fit in with all the older kids, and often felt lonely. They would go to bars and leave her out. After the Olympics, Katia and Sergei felt it was time to switch coaches. They wanted better choreography and increased difficulty in their routines. One of their old coaches came back to them. Marina Zueva was an amazing creative choreographer and coach. She also had the best musical taste. She taught them new elements and facial moods to express when they skated. This was important to Katia because they were able to make their skating unique and interesting to watch.

Between training and competing, the couple fell madly in love. They managed to express their deep emotions for each other in a passionate skating style. They married and had a child a year later. Their daughter was born on September 11, 1992, and was named Daria. Their skating became even more inspired by the birth of Daria. Katia felt very fortunate and happy to have such a wonderful family. Sergei was her protector and would never do anything to harm her. It was almost like a fantasy. In their second Olympics, they did a program to the Moonlight Sonata and won gold. It was what they had been wishing for so long. "This one we won for each other." (page 226) Katia felt her goal had been finally reached.

On November 20, 1995, Katia and Sergei were doing a routine practice session with Marina. They were skating through their early movements of their developing program. They were supposed to do crossovers before a lift. "The full orchestra was just coming in, one of those high waves of music Marina liked so much. Sergei was gliding on the ice, but he didn't do the crossovers. His hand didn't go around my waist for the lift." (page 255) Sergei glided into the boards, then bent his knees and lay down on the ice carefully. Marina came over to him, and she knew it was a heart attack and started CPR on him. When he was brought to the hospital, the doctor gave him electric shocks and a shot of Adrenalin in the heart. However, they had lost Sergei. The next few weeks were a blur. There were many arrangements to be done and decisions to be made. Katia was very devastated and felt as if her life had ended also.

A celebration of Sergei's life was planned. Fellow skaters came together to put on a show, and Katia prepared a solo program. She was so emotional throughout the celebration. When she went out to skate her solo, it felt as if someone was holding her hand and guiding her. This was important to Katia because she wanted to be able to say goodbye to Sergei by doing the thing they had worked so hard on throughout their lives, skating.

While Katia was in the dreamy romance with her husband, she became very oblivious to the world around her. She was always dependent on Sergei to protect and guide her. Katia was afraid to trust people or say things that might hurt them. Also, she was afraid of what people might say about her. "Time I have learned, is a doctor. Skating has been the best medicine for me." (page 289) She felt that God was sending her a message, to open her eyes to the world and experience what it was like not to be so blessed. She is now learning the disappointments of life. Katia has a job of building a new life for Daria and herself. Katia is now reaching out to friends and being more interested in their lives. She is getting to know her parents again, and make up for all the time she was traveling away from home. Finally, she is learning that there are new things in life to discover. As for skating, she has yet to summon the courage to skate alone with only Sergei's spirit to guide her.

It's been almost 10 years since Sergei Grinkov died. His widow is now remarried and has a four year old daughter with her new husband. And yet, that does not take away from the beauty of this book. It makes it a little easier to read - knowing that Katia came out the other side of her obvious heart-wrenching pain and allowed herself to find happiness and love again. The beauty of their story, the pain of that loss and her strength in picking up the pieces and going on with her life make a beautiful story that can be read over and over again (if you can stand the tears).

This book is honest - Katia does not sugar coat her own failings. In fact, in her recounting of their career, she seems to sometimes underestimate her own contribution to the pair and assigns failings to herself that were, in fact, Sergei's mistakes. She tells stories that could be (and have been) used to criticize her. And she does it fearlessly. This book is not their entire story, I am certain. But it is a beautiful rendition of their story told in Katia's words, and gives us a glimpse into their life which we could not have gotten anywhere else - which makes it even more special.

If you are a G&G fan and you have not read this ... where have you been? If you have never heard of Gordeeva & Grinkov ... or don't know much about them - read this book. It will capture your heart and make you fall in love with them. Then, watch their skating ... and you will be hooked forever.

Figure skating fans will recall the shocking death of pairs' gold medalist Sergei Grinkov on 20 November 1995. In this poignant memoir, his partner and widow, Ekaterina Gordeeva, shares the story of their lives together as skaters, husband and wife, and as parents.

Gordeeva and Grinkov - G&G - were perhaps the greatest pairs skaters of all time. Thoroughout their career, they touched the hearts of millions, bringing an elegance and perfection to ice that the sport has never seen before - or since.

Through this joyous look back at their career and lives, Katia shares their story, from humble beginnings as athletes in the Soviet sports machine to their triumphant Olympic gold medal wins in 1988 and 1994. She offers a rare insider's glimpse into the recently-scandalous world of Olympic skating and the preparation that goes into every performance.

Despite its tragic ending, the book is uplifting to read, which is one of the reasons that I have dog-eared my copy many times over. Katia's gentle, yet simple storytelling is both heart-wrenching and funny, especially her stories about their lives in America as recent immigrants to a world so different from the one they were raised in. Throughout, she fondly remembers the various competitions, routines, and holidays that marked her life.

It is rare to find a memoir that is so soul-bearing and touching as "My Sergei". While it is a love story, it is also so much more. It's a story of triumph, of the strength of the human spirit, and of love conquering over all.

I first read this shortly after its original publication, and have delved into it many times since. It's one book that I never tire of, and it is one that has touched millions of readers, skating fans and non-fans alike.

I read this book 4 times and reading it again. It's a beautiful story because it's true and because it's written by a person who lived through it. "My Sergei" captures your hearts like no other book. Read it and you will never want to put it down. Ekaterina and Sergei are a fairy tale couple the world will never forget!

I am a student in high school, and this book was the most wonderful book I've ever read. I read it in eighth grade, and ever since then I've been trying to find it in hardcover. I found the book to be deeply touching, and while reading it, I actually cried. This book is a must-read for everyone, especially those who are fans of skating. You won't be able to put it down, and once you finish you'll never want to let it go. You'll want to read it over and over again. The story is very touching, about Ekaterina Gordeeva, and her passed husband, Sergei. She starts telling the story from when she was four and continues through until the death of Sergei by a sudden heart-attack, and her struggle to move on in life. It is a beautifully written biography of Sergei and Katia and there never-ending love. It will bring a tear to your eye, and you will never forget it.

I am a huge figure skating fan. I had the pleasure of meeting Ekaterina and Sergei at a fundraiser in Halifax in 1994. To watch them skate was magic, and to read their love story was to read about pure happiness. Ekaterina shares her life on these pages with the reader, and tells us of the Sergei she knew and loved. For him to pass on at such a young age, only makes the story more sad and hard to understand. Ekaterina has written a lovely tribute to her husband, and is a 5 star read for any figure skating fan, or person who wants the insight on a real life love story.

After such a sad event I feound it very hard to read this book without constantly having tissues by my side. It would have to be one of the best love stories ever written - and it is easy to tell that Ekaterina had a lot to do with the writing of this book with all it's little innuendos. For her I think it was a way of being able to tell the world what a truely wonderful man Sergei really was.

Katia and Sergei were pure perfection on ice. Their perfect unison, the way he lifted her and held her, they were definitely a match made in heaven. I have been a big fan of them and their skating ever since they won their first gold medal in the 1988 Olympics and was so excited that they were touring with Stars on Ice. I bought several tickets ahead of time and couldn't wait until the day of the show. They were the main reason I wanted to go. But a few weeks before the show came to our state, I read in the paper that Sergei had died. I couldn't believe it. I was so disappointed...that I wouldn't get to see them skate together, that their beautiful fairy tale love story had come to a sudden and tragic end. I think Katia did a great job on her book, her tribute to him. She was honest and spoke from the heart. She brought us into their world...the one she shared with her Sergei. I am very glad to see her back on the ice and that she is such a wonderful mother to their adorable daughter Daria. May she continue to grow and one day, find true love again. She deserves it!

Gordeeva and Grinkov, champion skaters, grow up in the Soviet Union's training system for young athletes. The two figure skaters find themselves paired when Ekaterina Gordeeva (Katia) is 11 and Sergei Grinkov is 15, and from then on neither skates with a different partner. In the beginning their age gap looms large, but as time passes a friendship develops between them. And then, when Katia reaches young womanhood, that friendship catches fire and transforms itself into love.

This book is their love story, as well as the story of their lives from early childhood up to the time when Katia has to find a way to live on alone. For we, her readers, know from the beginning that her beloved Sergei will die of an on-the-ice heart attack at age 28. This knowledge makes for a poignant read, yet it is not at all a sad book. It is, instead, surprisingly uplifting.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle"