MODERATOR: Welcome! Chatting with us tonight is Olympic Figure Skater and single mom Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva. With her former partner and late husband, the great Sergei Grinkov, Katia first seduced the world with her elegance. There are few skaters in history who possess such beauty and grace as Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva. Please welcome Katia to Lycos chat!
brune: First of all, happy mother's day to you, Katia. Your birthday is also coming. A BIG happy birthday to you too!!
abeillemoi: Hi Katia! Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat. :)
1whale: Welcome Katia. We love you!
kassielacey: Hello Katia!!
pritchk: Welcome Katia. You make a beautiful mother!
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Zdravstvuyte, kak vi.
WingNut216: Privet Katia!
katyabelle: Privyet!
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Happy mother's day!
SeXyblond21: Where are you in route to on the airplane?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Los Angeles.
brune: Is it fun to be on line in an airplane?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: That's strange, isn't it? I did a reservation for my plane earlier than I knew about this interview. It's very interesting that you can call from a plane and chat on the computer at the same time.
GGfanforever: Katia, you have been voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world, and today your advertisement for the Katia Sport fragrance can be seen in many of America's most popular magazines. Even your fellow SOI skater, Kristi, models. Do you enjoy modeling, and if so, will you pursue it more in the future?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I am very much enjoying it. It's a lot of fun to especially be in involved with the Target people, who are creating perfume and doing all of my commercials for the products for Target. It's a lot of fun. It's different than skating, but I enjoy it very much.
EricaKeip: Hello Katia. Will you be able to be with Daria and your mother for Mother's Day?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: No, we're going to be together, me and Daria, but I won't be with my mom on Mother's day. In Russia we have mother's day on March 8th. We'll celebrate here. And I'm going to be with my daughter, yes.
SeXyblond21: What was the process like writing "A Letter for Daria?" Were you and Daria pleased with the results?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I am really pleased with the results and I hope Daria will appreciate it in the future, because, it says a lot about her father and about Russia... I hope she is interested in the future to read the book. So I was pleased with the results.
GGfanforever: Katia, you are a model of strength and beauty. Your skating depicts artistry unique in every way. Are you planning on competing at all this fall?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I hope I will... I will get ready some of the programs for competition and if a professional competition happens I will try to compete.
pocketsh: Hi Katia, I love your books "My Sergei" and "A Letter For Daria". Do you have any plans for writing in the future?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: It may happen, but not in the very close future... And if it's going to be a book, then it's not going to be about sort of me or like my life anymore. :) It may be another book.
rachmusic: Katia, it was great to see you in Stars On Ice again this year. What memories will you remember about the tour, and what did you enjoy the most?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I liked the tour a lot this year. I like the show a lot, because we have a lot of young skaters, new people in the group. It was a little bit different and had a lot of energy. There wasn't any boring numbers at all. I enjoy it very much, opening and I like the group number which is called "Four Corners" where I was skating with Denis Tetrov and Elana Bechka and Ilia. I was enjoying to skate with them. There were four of us, we are Russian and skating together. It was a lot of fun.
MODERATOR: Welcome! For those of you just joining us, tonight we are chatting with Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva, Mother and Women's Olympic Figure Skater.
WingNut216: What are some of your other hobbies? In "My Sergei" you mentioned that you went to quite a few hockey games. Do you have a favorite team?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Other hobbies: I like to cook when I have time... I also like to play tennis in summer, when I have time... And that probably will be it, because I don't have much time to do anything else. A favorite hockey team? I always followed the Vancouver Canuks, but now I was in school with Pavel Bure and he plays in Florida Panthers right now... No. Ah, yeah, I think so, Miami yeah. So I sort of follow that team a little bit. I don't have a favorite team, I guess, but I like to watch it sometimes. New York Rangers are good.
A_Lala: At a show in Simsbury, you had a program to "Il Postino", will you be performing it again? Many people, like myself haven't been able to see it yet since it was never broadcasted on TV.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Il Postino - I may skate it next fall.
pritchk: What grade is Daria in this year? Do you visit her at school sometimes?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: She is in Montessori School and she's in 3rd now. Yeah, I visit her sometimes.
brune: I love all your costumes. They are all so tasteful and complement your programs very well. Who design them for you?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: A lot of my costumes are made by Jeff Villings. He designed all the costumes for all "Stars on Ice" tour. And thank you for the compliments on my costumes.
AmeliaKB: Katia, I know very many of your fans really loved to see you skate pairs with Denis Petrov in Four Corners -- what was it like to skate pairs again?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it very much to be able to do pair skating again. And Denis is a great partner. It was also easy because he is Russian... And we have sort of the same techniques in pair skating.
SophieRed: Do you have any pieces of music that you would like to skate to sometime? I love all of your past classical selections, as well as the others of course.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes, I have some music in mind for next year, but I'm not going to tell it now because it's not all set yet, so people will see something new for next year. I can't say anything right now.
AUR172: Does Daria ever travel with you to appearances? Is she going to Los Angeles with you?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Sometimes to appearances and yes, she is right beside me, any questions to Daria? She can do some of the interview too. She's laughing, she's saying "no".
uandmfan: Katia, what do you think of the pairs competition at worlds this year?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Well, I should say that I only saw a short program. I didn't have a chance to see pair skating, because we had a show, but I thought that Chinese team was very powerful and strong. They may be great competitors for Russian Team Elana and Anzon.
hasmik: Privet Daria, kak dela v shkole?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: She is having a little bit of hard time of reading in English because she can read in Russian and she knows two languages, so sometimes she is confused. But she is doing very well otherwise. She loves the school.
mlme: Hello Daria! What is your favorite subject in school?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Daria: My favorite subject is Math and Language (which is Spanish).
1whale: Daria, are you ready for summer vacation? :-)
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Daria: Yes.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: She can't wait to go to Russia she loves dacha.
Drsystems: Daria, do you like to look down at the ground from the plane?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Daria: Sometimes. Sometimes I even get scared.
spruceldf: Hi Daria. I am in 3rd grade too. My mom and I are online too.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Hi Spruceldf.
sk8fan: Daria, do you hope to be a skater like your mom someday?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Daria: Maybe.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: But she is not skating very often. She is doing rhythmic gymnastics.
SophieRed: Has Daria learned to pick mushrooms at the dacha?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Daria: No (to mushrooms) I hate them...
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: She likes to pick them, but hates to eat them.
pritchk: Is your sister still living in Russia?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes, she does and sometimes she visits me. She left after a month with me a few days ago. Yes, she still lives there.
marci3023: Does Daria ask about Sergei often?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Not very often, but sometimes, yes we talk and I'm very open and we like to talk about Sergei. We look at the pictures, they're everywhere in the house. She knows a lot about her father.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Daria: Oh yea, I know a lot!
katyabelle: What an adorable child!
MODERATOR: Welcome! For those of you just joining us, tonight we are chatting with Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva, Mother and Women's Olympic Figure Skater.
1whale: Katia, do Anton and Elena remind you a lot of yourself and Sergei? I really see a similarity in the speed and technique among you.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Thank you. When I look at them, they have wonderful lines and unison of their skating... A little bit of a romantic side also... And all of these things remind me of our skating. But they definitely have their own personalities in skating. They have great technique.
uandmfan: Katia, are you planning on doing SOI Canada next year? I know you were very much missed this year. You haven't even skated at the new Air Canada Centre in Toronto yet. It's a very nice building.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Right, I know that it was a very nice building, but I wasn't invited because I wasn't Canadian. Maybe next year I will do a Canada tour.
amynicole_25: Was English as hard for you to learn as Russian is for me right now?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: It was hard in the beginning, I still have a hard time sometimes, it's a different language and hard to learn. But it's fun because I enjoy to talk to American people. I enjoy to have a conversation. I enjoy to do interviews!
pritchk: What type of diet do you eat to stay in such good shape?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Diet? I don't have very much of a diet, but I eat almost everything, just small portions and I try to do a lot of exercises. Workouts when I'm not skating.
SeXyblond21: Do you think you will one day obtain American citizenship?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Oh, I may, I haven't done this yet, but I maybe have to do because Daria is an American citizen, so I would love to.
360s: How much training is involved in becoming a figure skater?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: When I was young like 11-12, 15 years old, we trained a lot 5 hours to 7 hours a day except Sunday. I was training a lot and before we became world and Olympic champions. Now a little less because of professional skating and because I know how to do a lot of things already.
CarolineMig: Did you and Sergei ever perform triple salchow jumps in combination?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Not in combination, but we performed it once in competition, just the regular.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Stewardess: Ladies and gentleman we are approaching our final descent to Los Angeles, Please put your seatbelts on at this time...
Drsystems: Do you enjoy your fan club magazine so far?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes, it's fun, it's a nice magazine. I'm proud I have one like this and I'm proud that I have a club with my fans. I'm very thankful to the people that are doing all the things for the magazine.
L8tSk8t: Would you like to have more children
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Would love to. Daria wants one too... A brother or a sister.
marci3023: Will you be able to contribute to the fan club magazine someday, please?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Marci, Can you clarify your question, please?
marci3023: Can you send in something like write something?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes, I will and sometimes I do. I answer all the questions they ask me... And I have connection to them, so I do write to the magazine sometimes.
newtron16: What will you be doing in Los Angeles?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Just vacation.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Vacationing.
SeXyblond21: Will you get to see Ilia Kulik while in Los Angeles?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Maybe. I have a lot of friends there. Should I say hi to Ilia for you?
sk8fan: Yeah!
SeXyblond21: Yes!!
GGfanforever: Say hi to Ilia for me Katia. You two are my favorite!
kassielacey: Yes please!
SophieRed: Say hello to Ilia for all of us!
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Ok everybody, I'll say hi to Ilia for you.
AmeliaKB: Katia, what do you think when you hear that young pair teams want to be like you?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: The young skaters... I feel very proud that they like my skating and they enjoy to watch me on ice. I'm very satisfied because then I'm realizing that, I don't know, it doesn't matter if it's young skaters or people, I really like it when people like what I'm doing on the ice, that keeps me moving.
afarley: Will you be doing any more book signings/promotions where we might meet you and get your autograph? I was unable to get to the one for Katia Sport
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I'm not doing appearances anymore, I had 10 in different places, I've just done that tour and that's it for now.
spruceldf: What brand are your skates?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Graf from Switzerland.
brune: What is the best way to send you something like cards or gifts?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Send Simsbury Skating Rink, it should say International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, and that should probably be it. That's the best way.
CarolineMig: Are you aware of the tremendous fan base you have on the internet? Since I got on the Internet? I have connected with so many people who share my love for your skating. Do you ever 'peek' at any of these web sites devoted to you and Sergei?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I did, I actually did, I looked at the website of just me, I never looked at both of us, I didn't know we had one. I will look for them. Someone just told me a website of my solo career, so I never saw that we had one for us. I will look.
AmeliaKB: Do you prefer to be called Ekaterina Aleksandrovna or Katia?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Katia is fine, the others are too difficult.
SophieRed: Are there any ways we can support your skating efforts in addition to attending Stars on Ice and encouraging others to do so?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: No. Definitely it would be great if you could see Stars on Ice. That would be wonderful, and of course if I go to some other competition. It would be wonderful if you could come over and see and bring a bunch of people with you.
ASKATRSMOM: Katia if you could give a young skater one piece of advice what would it be?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: If they really enjoy to skate try to keep up with this even if they think there is some problems. The hardest thing is when you're young and you have so many choices to stick with one and stay with it even if it's very hard.
L8tSk8t: Do you teach summer skating sessions?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Not doing it very often, but I only did a couple of times and I like it, but it's difficult and it's different.
lmr10: Do you and Daria like living in Connecticut?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes. It's a beautiful place.
happyjoyjoie: Hi Katia. Fedor Andreev won the Canadian Jr. Championships a few months back. Were you able to see him skate? Have you spoken to Marina or Fedor recently?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I didn't see how he skated, but I hear he was great. I'm very happy for him and I'm going to see Marina soon, in a couple of weeks, and we're going to do a few numbers for next year.
GldSk8> One of my favorite programs is "Elegie" - any chances that you will perform it again?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: I don't think if I'll perform this anymore. I don't like to repeat things for a couple of years.
L8tSk8t: Did the plane land yet? It has been awhile since the stewardess' announcement.
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: No, it's still out there. Stewardess is now collecting glasses.
SophieRed: You've said before that you would like to pass on your skating secrets someday. If you were to coach do you think you'd stay in the US or coach in Russia?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: That's a good question. I think it's hard to say, but I would like to try both. I would like to work with someone who is Russian because I think it would be easier to explain. But I think I would like to teach pair skating here because I think the Russian skating is much stronger and to share the secrets...if there is any of them :)
SeXyblond21: This year you skated in your Out of Tears costume. Was this weird for you since this was a costume you wore with Sergei?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: It was weird, but also very nice because it was one of the favorite costumes when I skated with Sergei, so on the one hand it was a little weird and on the other it feels great.
No1Aunt: Katia, I sent a gift backstage to Stars on Ice. Do you get the gifts that are sent backstage?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes we get all the gifts always and thank you very much for whatever it was.
newtron16: Do your parents live in the USA or do they just stay to take care of Daria while you are on tour?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: My parents stay usually from September until April and then in Summer they go back to Russia because they have a house there. Maybe in the future they can stay more because they have a visas.
MODERATOR: Thanks for coming everyone. This has been an interesting chat. We will take just a few more comments or questions.
Katie_w84: Katia, do you get to see Daria often when you are on tour? Does she visit you during Stars on Ice?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: To Katie: Yes she does but not very often, the longest time is 3 weeks, usually she comes to visit me during the tour or I go back home for a couple of days.
SeXyblond21: Why wasn't Daria in this years Snowdon, we really missed her. She was wonderful in the first one!!
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: She enjoyed to be in Snowdon very much... But this year it was without her. But she liked it when we watched it at home. She loves skating. But she just didn't skate there.
SeXyblond21: Do you think the tour will change much now that Target is the title sponsor?
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Yes I think we will have more commercials, more, the Target people are very very creative. And we will definitely have more advertising...I'm very happy that they are taking "Stars on Ice". It's a lot of fun to work with them!
MODERATOR: Thanks for coming everyone. This has been an interesting chat. We have been chatting with Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva, Mother and Women's Olympic Figure Skater. It was with her former partner and late husband, the great Sergei Grinkov, that Katia first seduced the world with her elegance. There are few skaters in history who possess such beauty and grace as Ekaterina "Katia" Gordeeva. Thanks for chatting with us Katia!
SPEAKER_Speaker_E_Gordeeva: Thank you everyone to talk to me and I will do it next time from home! In a quiet place, not on a plane, it was a lot of fun.