Skaters Honor Grinkov

There they sat, some of the world’s greatest entertainers, with nary a smile among them. From buoyant Scott Hamilton to charming Oksana Baiul, from playful Viktor Petrenko to regal Marina Klimova, the somber mood was palpable.

This was no typical news conference. Just as tonight’s tribute to Sergei Grinkov will be no ordinary ice show.

Rarely, perhaps never, in the lives of these great skaters, has a non-competitive performance meant so much. The entire cast of the Stars On Ice tour, accompanied by Olympic champions Baiul, Petrenko, Klimova and her husband Sergei Ponomarenko, and Brian Boitano, among others, will honor the memory of Grinkov, who died last November of a heart attack at the age of 28.

The evening will be even more special because Katya Gordeeva, Grinkov’s widow, will perform publicly for the first time since she lost the partner with whom she won two Olympic gold medals.

The show at the Hartford Civic Center, called “A Celebration of a Life,” will feature quite probably the greatest collection of figure skating talent ever assembled on the same ice. Every one of the performers has won either an Olympic or world championship medal.

Although none of the skaters appeared happy during the short meeting with reporters at nearby Simsbury, the atmosphere changed when they took the ice for rehearsal.

For Gordeeva, Monday was a welcome chance to reunite with many of her peers who have rallied in support since Grinkov died on the ice during a practice session at Lake Placid, N.Y.