Sergei Grinkov article (25th anniversary of his death)

[Wyliefan]

Lynn Rutherford interviewed Scott Hamilton, Paul Wylie, Marina Zoueva, Elena Bechke, and Byron Allen of SOI for this lovely tribute.

Skating colleagues remember Sergei Grinkov, 25 years after his death

On Nov. 20, 1995, two-time Olympic pairs champion Sergei Grinkov, aged 28, died of a heart attack in Lake Placid, New York.

olympics.nbcsports.com

“These days, some people can do tricks but they can’t skate,” Bechke said. “That is something that can be taught to an extent, but if you can’t naturally skate, it takes a lot of work to develop. If you watch (Gordeeva and Grinkov) skate on YouTube, they weren’t even skating. They were flying; they were like feathers. That’s what made them special.”

Marina Zoueva, the pair’s longtime coach and choreographer, echoes Hamilton and Bechke’s words.

“They were very light, like (three-time world champion) Patrick Chan,” she said. “That is the difference. (Chan) skates like a feather, flowing on the ice. It’s the same talent Katia and Sergei had. They had natural rhythm; that’s why their pair elements were perfect. They had natural harmony… I saw this, and I emphasized this in the choreography I did for them: the lightness, the connection, how they looked at each other, the bodylines.”

ETA: Apologies, I didn't see that this had been posted elsewhere. Please feel free to delete!

 

[FSWer]

It's already been 25 years since Katia lost him?

 

[Wyliefan]

Yes.

 

[Judy]

It is hard to believe. I remember it clearly. I had seen them in SOI back in the spring so a few months before he passed.

 

[Sylvia]

Some people also have been sharing their memories in this thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/november-20th-25-years-later.107804/