Ekaterina Gordeeva

Early Life and Partnership Formation

Ekaterina Gordeeva was born on 28 May 1971 in Moscow, then part of the Soviet Union. Her father, Alexander Gordeev, was a dancer with the Alexandrov Song and Dance Ensemble, and her mother, Elena, worked as a teletype operator for the TASS news agency. Gordeeva began skating at age four at the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA Moscow, initially struggling with ill-fitting skates. Recognized as a skater with strong artistic sense but not a powerful jumper, she was paired by coach Vladimir Zaharov in August 1981 with the 14-year-old Sergei Grinkov, who was four years her senior. The partnership faced early challenges, including Grinkov's inconsistent attendance at practice, which led their coach to suggest Gordeeva find a new partner. She refused, and the pair instead changed coaches, a decision that set the foundation for one of figure skating's most storied duos.

Dominant Pairs Career with Sergei Grinkov

Gordeeva and Grinkov's competitive ascent was rapid and spectacular. They announced their arrival by winning the 1985 World Junior Championships in Colorado Springs. The following year, they captured their first senior World Championship title, becoming one of the few teams to win back-to-back junior and senior world crowns. They successfully defended their world title in 1987. The pair was known for exceptional basic skating technique, moving with a fluid, quiet glide that distinguished them from their peers. They were also technical pioneers, being among the first pair teams to cleanly execute a quadruple twist lift in international competition, which they landed at the 1987 World and European Championships. Their path to the 1988 Calgary Olympics was nearly derailed in November 1987 when a practice accident saw Grinkov drop Gordeeva on her head, resulting in a hospital stay.

After a silver medal at the 1988 Worlds, they reclaimed the world title in 1989 and 1990. They turned professional in late 1990, immediately winning the World Professional Championship in 1991, and again in 1992 and 1994. Their competitive record was staggering, finishing first in 24 of 31 known senior and professional competitions and never placing lower than second after their first senior world win. During their professional career, their partnership blossomed into romance. They shared their first kiss on New Year's Eve 1988 and were married in April 1991, with a state wedding on the 20th and a church ceremony on the 28th. Their daughter, Daria, was born on 11 September 1992 in Morristown, New Jersey. When rule changes allowed professionals to regain Olympic eligibility, the pair decided to return for the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer. They won their second Olympic gold medal, cementing their legacy. After the Olympics, they returned to professional skating, headlining the Stars on Ice tour and being selected for induction into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in the summer of 1995. Their career was tragically cut short on 20 November 1995, during a rehearsal in Lake Placid, New York, when Grinkov collapsed on the ice and died from a massive heart attack at age 28, later attributed to a congenital heart condition.

Solo Career and Public Tributes

Following Grinkov's death, Gordeeva began a solo career while honouring his memory. Her first public solo performance was a tribute skated to Mahler's "Adagietto," previewed in Ottawa, Ontario, at the Minto Skating Club and later televised on 27 February 1996 in a special called "Celebration of a Life." She described feeling his presence, making her "double strong" during the performance. In 1996, with author E. M. Swift, she published the bestselling memoir My Sergei: A Love Story, which was adapted into a CBS docudrama in 1998. She published a second book, the children's book A Letter for Daria, in April 1998. Gordeeva returned to the Stars on Ice tour as a soloist from 1996 through 2000 and has made numerous guest appearances since. She also competed as a professional solo skater, achieving a second-place finish at the 1997 World Professional Championships before retiring from competition in 2000. Gordeeva's solo career expanded into endorsements, television, and special performances. She had a notable contract with Target that included two perfumes, "Katia" and "Katia Sport." She and her daughter Daria appeared in holiday television specials Snowden on Ice (1997) and its 1998 sequel. She was featured in a "Got Milk?" advertisement with Daria, represented Rolex, and was the subject of a Lenox figurine in 2001. In 2003, she appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as a featured athlete. A significant part of her later performances involved skating with her daughters, beginning with a duet with Daria in 2003 and later including her younger daughter, Elizaveta, in family skating shows from 2005 onward.

• 1996: Publishes My Sergei: A Love Story and performs solo tribute in Ottawa and on television.
• 1997: Finishes second at World Professional Championships. Appears with Daria in Snowden on Ice.
• 1998: My Sergei docudrama airs on CBS. Publishes A Letter for Daria.
• 2003: Featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. First public duet with daughter Daria.
• 2007: Stars in Skate for the Heart to raise awareness for heart disease.
• 2008 to 2009: Wins Russian reality show Ice Age paired with actor Egor Beroev.
• 2010: Wins CBC's Battle of the Blades (Season 2) paired with hockey player Valeri Bure.

Ekaterina Gordeeva has performed pair elements in many shows through the years with various partners. These partners have included fellow Olympic champions Artur Dmitriev, Anton Sikharulidze, David Pelletier, and John Zimmerman. While she has skated in these pair performances, she has never returned to pair skating as a full-time endeavor. Gordeeva has continued her career primarily as a solo performer in professional skating tours and shows.

Coaching and Life in Canada

In addition to performing, Gordeeva has built a career in coaching and choreography. She is currently a member of the coaching team at the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club located in the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta. Her move to Canada followed her marriage to Canadian pairs champion David Pelletier on 25 July 2020. The couple resides in Edmonton. Prior to this, Gordeeva was involved in the skating business in the United States. In 2012, she and her then-husband Ilia Kulik opened Kulik's Skating, a training rink in Lake Forest, California. Her professional journey and family life have created a sustained connection with Canadian skating fans, reinforced by her early Olympic triumph in Calgary and her ongoing involvement in the sport through coaching.

Personal Life and Family

Gordeeva's personal life has been deeply connected to her skating career and marked by both great joy and tragedy. Her marriage to Sergei Grinkov produced their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, born in 1992. After Grinkov's death in 1995, Gordeeva later began a relationship with 1998 Olympic men's singles champion Ilia Kulik. Their daughter, Elizaveta (Liza) Ilinichna Kulik, was born on 15 June 2001. Gordeeva and Kulik married in a private ceremony in San Francisco on 10 June 2002. The family lived in California, then Avon, Connecticut, before returning to the Los Angeles area, residing in Newport Beach. The family, who spoke Russian at home, made several televised appearances together on Kristi Yamaguchi's Friends and Family shows from 2005 to 2007. Gordeeva and Kulik divorced in 2016. Gordeeva found love again with fellow skater David Pelletier, the Canadian pairs champion from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, marrying him in 2020 and establishing their home in Edmonton.

Major Competitive Results with Sergei Grinkov

The competitive record of Gordeeva and Grinkov shows their consistency and dominance at the highest levels of figure skating. The following table highlights their key results at major international championships during their amateur career. Their disqualification (DQ) at the 1987 European Championships resulted from a rules misunderstanding after a problem with Grinkov's boot strap during their program. Beyond these major events, they also won the 1985 World Junior Championships, the 1990 Goodwill Games, and three World Professional Championships (1991, 1992, 1994). Their final competitive appearance together was their gold medal performance at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer.

Publications and Media Projects

Gordeeva has authored two books that provide intimate insights into her life and perspective. Her first book, My Sergei: A Love Story (1996), co-written with Sports Illustrated writer E. M. Swift, is a heartfelt memoir of her life and career with Grinkov. It became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a television movie in 1998, starring Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze as the couple. A Russian language edition published in 1999 included a foreword where Gordeeva reflected that the original was written for an American audience with certain sentimental expectations. Her second book, A Letter for Daria (1998), is a children's book written as an autobiographical letter to her elder daughter, discussing childhood, skating, cultural differences, and family. Both works are illustrated with personal photographs from Gordeeva's collection, and the memoir includes many black-and-white and colour photos from their personal and professional lives.

Questions about Ekaterina Gordeeva

How many Olympic gold medals did Ekaterina Gordeeva win?

Ekaterina Gordeeva won two Olympic gold medals in pairs skating with Sergei Grinkov. They were the 1988 Olympic Champions at the Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They also won the 1994 Olympic Championship in Lillehammer, Oppland, Norway. This gave them a total of two Olympic gold medals.

What happened to Sergei Grinkov?

Sergei Grinkov died suddenly on 20 November 1995, at the age of 28. He collapsed during a rehearsal with Gordeeva in Lake Placid, New York, for the upcoming Stars on Ice tour. The cause of death was a massive heart attack. It was later discovered that Grinkov had a previously undiagnosed congenital heart condition that led to his death. His passing sent shockwaves through the figure skating world and impacted Gordeeva's life and career.

Is Ekaterina Gordeeva married to a Canadian?

Yes, Ekaterina Gordeeva is married to Canadian figure skater David Pelletier. Pelletier, who won the pairs gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics with partner Jamie Salé, married Gordeeva on 25 July 2020. The couple currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta. This is Gordeeva's third marriage, following her marriage to Sergei Grinkov and later to Russian skater Ilia Kulik.

Does Ekaterina Gordeeva have children?

Ekaterina Gordeeva has two daughters. Her first child, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born on 11 September 1992, and is her daughter with Sergei Grinkov. Her second daughter, Elizaveta (Liza) Ilinichna Kulik, was born on 15 June 2001, and is her daughter with 1998 Olympic champion Ilia Kulik. Both daughters have skated publicly with their mother in various shows and television specials.

What is Ekaterina Gordeeva doing now?

Ekaterina Gordeeva remains active in the figure skating world as a coach and choreographer. She is currently a member of the coaching team at the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club located in the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada. She continues to make occasional guest skating appearances in shows and tours. Gordeeva lives in Edmonton with her husband, Canadian Olympic champion David Pelletier.

Did Gordeeva and Grinkov ever skate in Canada?

Yes, Gordeeva and Grinkov skated in Canada on several significant occasions. Their most famous performance in Canada was winning their first Olympic gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Later, after Grinkov's death, Gordeeva's first solo tribute performance to him was previewed at the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa, Ontario, in February 1996 before its televised broadcast. Her connection to Canada deepened further through her marriage to David Pelletier and her current residence and coaching work in Edmonton.

Sources and further reading

• Ekaterina Gordeeva (Wikipedia)
• Ekaterina Gordeeva (starsonice.com)
• Ekaterina Gordeeva, Sergei, Daughters & Career (biography.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.