The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed the death of former junior tag team world champion Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya in Moscow. The 20-year-old fell out of the window of her sixth-floor apartment in Moscow in an apparent suicide, police sources told Russian news agencies Interfax and TASS.
“The preliminary cause of death is suicide,” the state agency TASS said, citing a police source.
Alexandrovskaya coach Andrei Khekalo confirmed the details of his death to AFP. He said he was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and that he suffered from depression.
Damir Sagolj / REUTERS
Alexandrovskaya was born in Russia, but in 2016 she obtained Australian citizenship and competed for her adopted country at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics with her skating partner Harley Windsor.
The couple won the 2017 junior world title. Alexandrovskaya retired from the sport in February after suffering various injuries.
Windsor, Australia’s first indigenous athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics, said he was “devastated” by the news of Alexandrovskaya’s death.
“The amount we had achieved during our partnership is something I can never forget and will always keep close to my heart,” he said in an Instagram post.
Ian Chesterman, chief of mission for the Australian team in Pyeongchang, said the news was a terrible blow to all those who knew the skater.
“It is enormously sad to lose Katia, who was a vibrant and talented person and an amazing athlete,” said Chesterman. “She was quiet and humble in her own way, but incredibly determined to be the best she could be. Life since the Games has not been easy for her and this is another timely reminder of how fragile life is.”
It is the second death of an Australian Winter Olympian in 10 days. Two-time world snowboard champion and three-time Olympian Alex Pullin drowned while spearfishing on July 8 on the Gold Coast, north of Brisbane.
“Katia’s death is another blow to our winter sports community that is still recovering from our loss of ‘Chumpy’ Pullin,” said Chesterman.
Geoff Lipshut, executive director of the Australian Winter Olympic Institute, said Alexandrovskaya has a special place in the country’s sports history.
“Katia and Harley were Australia’s first world figure skating champions,” said Lipshut. “She came to Australia to fulfill her sports dreams.
“Today’s news is very sad, my thoughts are with the Katia family in Russia, Harley and the skating community in Australia. I will remember Katia as a young woman of great talent and remarkable potential.”
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