Figure Skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya Died After Fall from Sixth Floor Window, Coach Says
Olympic Figure Skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya died after falling from a sixth-floor window in Moscow, her coach Andrei Khekalo confirmed to AFP.
Russian news agencies Interfax and TASS also reported that police sources said that Alexandrovskaya's death was an apparent suicide, CBS News reported.
Khekalo added to the AFP that Alexandrovskaya, 20, was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and suffered from depression.
The International Skating Union previously confirmed Alexandrovskaya’s death on Friday.
"The ISU is shocked by the news of Ekaterina's passing," President Jan Dijkema said in a statement on ISU'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."
Alexandrovskaya was born in Russia and gained her Australian citizenship in 2016. She competed for Australia alongside skating partner Harley Windsor at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and placed 18th. The pair won the world junior title the year before.
A post shared by Harley Windsor (@h_d22) on Jul 18, 2020 at 2:44am PDT
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Alexandrovskaya retired from the sport in February. She and Windsor also announced the end of their partnership.
“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,” Windsor, 23, wrote on Instagram following the news of her death, alongside a photo of the skating partners.
“The amount we had achieved during our partnership is something I can never forget and will always hold close to my heart,” he added. “This news is something you can never prepare for. Rest In Peace Katia.”
On Monday, Windsor asked fans to help send her off with a beautiful tribute, sharing a link to a GoFundMe page for his partner in his Instagram bio.
“Hi everyone, the Australian skating community has created a GoFundMe page," he wrote in a note in his Instagram story. "For Katia's funeral we want to flood the ceremony with flowers in memory. Please any help is appreciated."
Jamie Squire/Getty Images Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor
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The GoFundMe says that Alexandrovskaya's family and friends in her native Russia will hold a funeral service for her in Moscow.
"The goal of this fundraiser is to flood Katya's funeral service with flowers as a reminder to her family and friends of the love and joy she brought to all those in Australia and around the world," explains the donation page. "$3000 of the $10,000 goal will go towards flower arrangements, with the remainder of funds raised to support Katya's family with funeral costs."
Ian Chesterman, the chef de mission for the Australian team at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, told the Associated Press that Alexandrovskaya was "incredibly determined" and shared that she had been struggling since the end of the Olympics.
“It is enormously sad to lose Katia, who was a vibrant and talented person and an incredible athlete,” Chesterman said. “She was quiet and humble in her manner 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 just how fragile life is.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
