Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, Russian – Australian figure skater dies at age 20!
- Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya was born in Russia but competed in the Olympics for Australia.
- She died on 18 July 2020.
- The cause of her death was not disclosed.
- But she had retired earlier this year due to health concerns.
- She had some injury and also a diagnosis of epilepsy.
Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and her death
Russian-Australian figure skater, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya died at the age of 20 on 18 July 2020. She was in Moscow at the time of her death. The news has come as a shock to her fans.
The exact cause of her death is not known. Andrei Khekalo, Ekaterina’s coach said that doctors had diagnosed her with epilepsy earlier this year.
In February, she retired from active skating probably due to injury. It is not clear whether her death was due to complications of epilepsy.
However, Russian news agency Tass reported that Ekaterina had jumped from her Moscow apartment window. She left a suicide note behind.
Shock waves in the skating world
Jan Dijkema, President of the International Skating Union (ISU) stated on their website:
“The ISU is shocked by the news of Ekaterina’s passing,”
“She was a talented pair skater and the Figure Skating community will miss her. We offer our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and teammates and mourn this tragic loss.”
Ekaterina’s ice skating partner, Australian Harley Windsor posted a tribute to her on his Instagram:
“Words can not describe how I feel right now, I am devastated and sick to my core about the sad and sudden passing of Katia. The amount we had achieved during our partnership is something I can never forget and will always hold close to my heart. This news is something you can never prepare for. Rest In Peace Katia.”
When she retired from active skating in February 2020, he posted:
“Due to health concerns, Katia and I are unable to continue,”
“I want to take this opportunity to wish Katia all the best in the future and a quick recovery.”
Ekaterina’s coach Andrei said to AFP:
“She was fearless. She was like a fish in the water,”
Ian Chesterman, the Australian Olympic team chief in Pyeongchang in 2018 stated:
“Katia… was a vibrant and talented person and an incredible athlete.”
Ekaterina’s short-lived career
Ekaterina was a highly talented figure skater. She had competed on Australia’s pairs figure skating team in the 2018 Olympics.
The Australian government had granted her Australian citizenship to compete in the Olympics representing their country.
She paired with Harley Windsor who flew to Moscow to meet her. He said:
“The first time we skated together we matched really well.”
The two trained for a year and competed at the 2017 Olympics and won the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
They were the first Australians to win this coveted title. Additionally, the pair competed together at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang South Korea.
But this February, they ended their pairing due to the health issues of Ekaterina.