Being an Olympic-level athlete is a goal that many people have across the globe, with only a relative few who do manage to achieve such a pinnacle within the sporting world. Sadly, that world lost one of its own in the past week. Figure skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, who represented Australia during the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, died at 20 years old after falling from a building window.
Details weren't quick to emerge after the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed that Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya had fallen to her death from a building's sixth-floor window in Moscow, Russia on Friday, July 17. According to the New York Post, Russian media later provided the tragic update that Alexandrovskaya left a note at the scene that said "Lyublyu," which translates to "I love."
After years of success, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya had apparently retired from figure skating back in January 2020 after years of health and fitness concerns. She'd suffered a seizure around that time and was diagnosed with epilepsy. It was also claimed by her coach Andrei Khekalo that the Olympian suffered from bouts with depression.
Born in Moscow in 2000, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya moved to Australia and obtained citizenship in 2017 in the years after her father's 2015 death, choosing to represent the country with her figure skating career. She and skating partner Harley Windsor, who is Australia's first indigenous athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics, were very successful during their years together. They won the gold during the 2017 World Junior Champions, among other accomplishments. For the 2018 Winter Games, they ended up placing 18th, and did not advance to the free skate event.
Despite some successes thereafter, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harvey Windsor both dealt with health issues that occasionally kept them from competing. During one of their final competitions together, the pair took seventh place at 2019 Skate America early on in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating. It was relatively soon after that when Alexandrovskaya retired.
Harley Windsor took to Instagram to share his shock and his sadness over her death, saying:
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.
Geoff Lipshut, who serves as the chief executive of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, mourned the athlete by pointing out her legacy within the country's Olympic history.
Katia and Harley were Australia’s first figure skating world champions. She came to Australia to fulfill her sporting dreams.
We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya in their time of mourning.
