Ekaterina Alexandrovna Gordeeva, fondly known as Katia, is a former Russian figure skater. She and her late husband, Sergei Grinkov, were Olympic champions in pair skating in 1988 and 1994, as well as four-time World champions in 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990.
After losing her husband in a tragic incident, Gordeeva continued to compete as a single skater and went on to achieve a lot more victories. Bear with us while we reveal more of her personal and professional accomplishments.
Ekaterina Gordeeva: Quick Facts
| Full Name | Ekaterina Alexandrovna Gordeeva |
| NickName | Ekaterina Gordeeva or Katia |
| Date of Birth | May 28, 1971 |
| Birth Place | Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Age | 51 |
| Sun Sign | Gemini |
| Father’s Name | Alexander Alexeyevich Gordeeva |
| Mother’s Name | Elena Lvovna Gordeeva |
| Siblings | Maria Alexandrovna Gordeeva |
| Height | 5 feet 1 inch |
| Weight | 41 kg |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Body Measurements | Under review |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Shoe Size | Under review |
| Education | Primary education |
| Body Type | Slim |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Net Worth | $10 million |
| Social Media Presence | Instagram and Twitter |
Table of Contents
Ekaterina Gordeeva Bio | Education And Early Life
Ekaterina Gordeeva was born on May 28, 1971, in Moscow, Russia. Her father, Alexander Alexeyevich Gordeev was a dancer in the Alexandrov Ensemble, the Russian armed forces’ official army chorus. He wished for Gordeeva to become a ballet dancer. Meanwhile, Elena Levovna, her mother, worked as a teletype operator for Russia’s main news agency, Russian News Agency TASS.
Katina’s parents traveled frequently as a result of their jobs, thus she was raised by her grandmother. She has a younger sister called Maria Alexandrovna Gordeeva as well. The siblings are quite close. Despite the fact that they reside in different countries, they have a tight friendship.
She first attempted to enroll in ballet school but was denied. Despite this, she discovered her genuine passion as a result of her rejection. Gordeeva has also been skating since she was four years old.
Ekaterina Gordeeva attended the CSKA Moscow Children and Youth Sports School. The mother of two attended a local school but did not continue her studies at the college level. Instead, she concentrated on her skating career, which she excelled at.
Age And Body Measurements
On May 28, 2020, the four-time world champion skater turned 51 years old. When it comes to her appearance, she is pretty thin and weighs around 90.4 pounds or 41 kgs. The former skater stands 5 feet and 1 inch tall.
Career
1981-1988
Gordeeva began figure skating at the age of four when she enrolled in the CSKA Moscow Children and Youth Sports School.
She wasn’t a particularly good jumper, so coach Vladimir Zaharov trained the 11-year-old Gordeeva with the 15-year-old Sergei Grinkov in 1981. Due to Grinkov’s repeated absences from practice, their coach ultimately requested that Gordeeva partner with someone else, but she refused. Instead, the two switched coaches.
The 1985 World Junior Figure Skating Championships were won by Gordeeva and Grinkov in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They won the first of four World Figure Skating Championships the following year. They are one of only a few pairs that have won back-to-back junior and senior world championships. In 1987, they successfully defended their world title.
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Grinkov snagged a blade on the ice during a practice session in November 1987 and dropped Gordeeva on her forehead. She was hospitalized for a while, but they were still able to participate and win a gold medal in the 1988 Winter Olympics, which took place the following February in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are still the youngest Olympic couples team to win gold.
1989-1995
They received silver at the World Championships in 1988 but reclaimed the championship title in 1989 and 1990. Moreover, the pair went professional in the fall of 1990, and in 1991 they won their first World Professional Championship. They also won the championship in 1992 and 1994.
Gordeeva and Grinkov won nearly every competition in which they competed. They are also one of only two pairs in history to perform a quadruple twist lift in international competition.
At the 1987 World Championships, they nailed the tough segment with ease. They also completed the element in the 1987 European Championships but were disqualified owing to a difficulty with Grinkov’s bootstrap and a misunderstanding of the regulations.
When a new ISU regulation permitted professional skaters to recover Olympic eligibility, Gordeeva and Grinkov elected to compete in the Olympics as amateurs for the 1993–94 season. In Lillehammer, Oppland, Norway, the couple won their second Olympic gold medal in 1994.
Gordeeva was chosen one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” that year. Gordeeva and Grinkov were elected into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame that summer.
After losing her partner who was also her husband, Grinkov, she collaborated with Sports Illustrated writer E. M. Swift to create a book, My Sergei: A Love Story, which was released in 1995.
Gordeeva’s narrative of her years with Grinkov topped the New York Times Best Seller list, and it includes numerous black-and-white and color images from their personal collection, as well as press images from their many touring groups, such as Stars On Ice.
The book was also adapted into a television film. It featured interviews with family and friends, as well as vintage skating film, and starred the Russian duo Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.
1996 – 2012
Gordeeva returned to the Stars on Ice as a solo skater in February 1996. Her first performance was a homage to her late spouse, in which she skated to the Adagietto section of Gustav Mahler‘s Symphony No. 5.
The piece was only performed publicly twice, first in a preview performance at the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa, Ontario, and once on February 27, 1996, in a televised homage to Grinkov called Celebration of a Life, in which many skating legends participated. Gordeeva has stated that she felt as though she was skating with Sergei that night and that she felt stronger since she sensed him with her.
The charming diva has returned to the tour several times as a guest performer, but she has never returned to full-time traveling. Gordeeva skated well as a professional solo skater, earning as high as second place in the World Professional Championships in addition to tours and concerts in 1997.
While she has never returned to pair skating as a full-time pursuit, she has skated pair components in various shows with partners such as Artur Dmitriev, Anton Sikharulidze, David Pelletier, and John Zimmerman over the years. She and fellow Russians Ilia Kulik, Elena Bechke, and Denis Petrov performed a quartet that emphasized her pair talents on Stars on Ice during the 1998–1999 season.
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In April 1998, she released her second novel, A Letter for Daria. Daria is her daughter from her first husband. She retired from competitive skating in 2000, although she still participates in professional skating tours, performances, and contests
Gordeeva appeared in Skate for the Heart, a performance created to promote awareness of heart disease, in 2007. She performed in memory of Grinkov.
Gordeeva temporarily returned to pairs skating during the 2008–09 season when she competed in Ice Age 2, a Russian reality television show modeled after Dancing with the Stars. She was teamed with Russian actor Egor Beroev, and the duo won the competition.
She went to the United States from Russia to headline Skate for the Heart for the second time during the filming of Ice Age 2.
Then after the death of her father due to a heart attack in 2008, she wrote a song in honor of her father. In another figure skating reality program, Battle of the Blades, she teamed with hockey star Valeri Bure in 2010. She and Bure won the trophy in the finals on November 22, 2010.
Personal Life
Ekaterina married Sergei Grinkov, her skating partner, and first love. Through their shared interest in figure skating, the two met when Gordeeva was 11 and Grinkov was 15.
Their connection began as friends, then as partners, and finally gradually grew into love. Furthermore, they declared their love publically on New Year’s Eve in 1988.
Later, in April 1991, the couple married in a church ceremony and a state ceremony. They subsequently went on tour with Stars on Ice before announcing the pregnancy of their first and only child, Daria.
Unfortunately, Sergei died on November 20, 1995, as a result of a major heart attack during practice. It was eventually discovered that he died as a consequence of a congenital cardiac disease. The former skater was just 24 years old when her spouse died.
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Ilia Kulik, Gordeeva’s second spouse, met her via figure skating as well. During the 1999-2000 season of Stars on Ice, they began dating and even performed a romantic duet.
Then on June 15, 2001, Elizaveta Ilinichna Kulik, Katia’s second daughter, and Ilia’s first child, was born. They married over a year later, on June 10, 2002, in a private ceremony in California. They lived there for quite some time before relocating to Connecticut.
Nonetheless, they often travel between the United States and Russia to visit their family and birthplace. Furthermore, the married pair launched Kulik’s Skating in California. They are typically there and occasionally assist with choreography and training.
The couple’s fourteen-year marriage came to an end in 2016 when they divorced. Nonetheless, the couple maintains a pleasant connection for the sake of their kid.
Net Worth | How Much Does Ekaterina Gordeeva Earn?
After nearly 22 years of competitive skating, the great figure skater has amassed a sizable net worth. Her net worth is estimated to be $10 million as of 2021. She has also landed a number of endorsement deals, including one with American Retail Corporation, Target.
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She has developed two fragrances under the deal, Katia and Katia Sport. Then she modeled for Rolex and appeared in a Got Milk? commercial with Daria. Not to mention her appearance in the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Social Media Presence | Is Ekaterina Gordeeva Active On Social Media?
Katia is quite familiar with and active on social media. She typically posts photos of her daughter, sister, mother, and friends. In addition, the skater includes images of her admirers and supporters.
The former skater is currently active on two social networking sites, Instagram and Twitter. However, Gordeeva isn’t very active on Twitter. Nonetheless, she frequently discusses Stars on Ice and skating in general.
Instagram – 34k followers
Twitter – 4158 followers
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Ekaterina Gordeeva currently married to?
Ekaterina is not married at the moment. She was, however, married to her first partner and love, Sergei Grinkov. Sergei died unexpectedly after a major heart attack after being married for over four years. Gordeeva later married another figure skater, Ilia Kulik. Unfortunately, even her second marriage could not last and the couple split in 2016.
- Where is Ekaterina Gordeeva these days?
Ekaterina Gordeeva presently resides in California, USA. She is having a good time since she travels and spends time with her family.
- What is Ekaterina Gordeeva’s net worth?
According to current estimates, the four-time World Champion’s net worth $10 million.
