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Alexandrovskaya competed for his adopted country at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, who was born in Russia but competed for Australia in figure skating at the Olympics, died in Moscow at age 20.
The cause of his death on Friday has yet to be revealed. Alexandrovskaya retired in February due to injury.
He was awarded Australian citizenship to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics with Harley Windsor, an indigenous Australian couples skating couple.
Windsor, who won the world juniors with her in 2017, said he was devastated.
“The amount we had achieved during our partnership is something I can never forget and will always keep close to my heart,” Windsor wrote on Instagram.
Her coach Andrei Khekalo said Alexandrovskaya was diagnosed with epilepsy earlier this year.
“I was not afraid. It was like a fish in the water,” he told AFP.
Ian Chesterman, the head of the Australian Olympic team at Pyeongchang in 2018, said: “Katia … was a vibrant and talented person and an amazing athlete.”
Alexandrovskaya broke barriers with Windsor, who became the first indigenous Australian to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
He had flown to Moscow to meet Alexandrovskaya, saying: “The first time we skated together, we agreed very well.”
- The Australian ice and ice skating couple
It is the second death of an Australian Winter Olympian in 10 days.
Twice world snowboard champion and three times Olympian Alex Pullin drowned while spearfishing last week on Australia’s Gold Coast.
