Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, who competed on Australia’s pairs figure skating team in the 2018 Olympics, has died. She was 20.
“The ISU is shocked by the news of Ekaterina’s passing,” International Skating Union (ISU) President Jan Dijkema said in a statement on the organization’s website. “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.”
Although the cause of death has not been confirmed, Russian news agency Tass reported that a law enforcement source said Alexandrovskaya took her own life by jumping from her Moscow apartment window and that a suicide note was left behind.
The Russian-born skater along with her partner on the ice, Harley Windsor, had only trained together for one year when they won the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 2017 — becoming the first Australian skaters to win an ISU Championship title. The following year, they competed together at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
In February 2020, they announced they were ending their skating careers as a pair. Coach Andrei Khekalo told Russian news agency RIA Novosti on the day of Alexandrovskaya’s death that doctors recommended she end her skating career after she experienced an epileptic seizure.
“Due to health concerns, Katia and I are unable to continue,” Windsor wrote on Instagram in February. “I want to take this opportunity to wish Katia all the best in the future and a quick recovery.”
On Saturday, Windsor posted a tribute to Alexandrovskaya on Instagram, writing, ” 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.”
If you or someone you care for needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 24 hours a day, at 1-800-273-8255.
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