Devastating new details about death of Aussie Winter Olympian, 20
Devastating new details are emerging after the death of Australian Winter Olympics star Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya.
Tributes have been flooding in after ice skater Alexandrovskaya died in Moscow at age 20.
HAUNTING: Final text messages from Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin
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The cause of her death on Friday has not yet been disclosed, but her coach has told AFP she fell from a window.
There was no immediate comment from Russian law enforcement agencies but Alexandrovskaya's coach Andrei Khekalo said she had fallen from a sixth-floor window in central Moscow.
Russian media said she had left a note reading “Lyublyu (I love)”.
Khekalo said Alexandrovskaya missed a training session in January and was afterwards diagnosed with epilepsy and quit the sport.
Even before she was diagnosed with epilepsy she suffered from depression, he added.
“I tried to get her to stay in sport at my own peril,” Khekalo said.
He said she was particularly good at pairs skating. “She was fearless. She was like a fish in the water,” he added.
Overlooked by the Russian system, Alexandrovskaya switched countries and partnered up with Harley Windsor, who eventually became Australia’s first Indigenous athlete to take part in the Winter Olympics in 2018.
The pair were crowned world junior champions in 2017, claiming Australia's first global figure skating title and getting the nod for the Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Windsor said he was “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,” he said in a statement on Instagram.
Double tragedy after death of ‘Chumpy’ Pullin
Ian Chesterman, Chef de Mission for the Australian team in North Korea, said the Australian sporting community was still reeling following the death of Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin.
Fellow Winter Olympics star Pullin drowned two weeks ago while spearfishing on an artificial reef off Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.
“It is enormously sad to lose Katia who was a vibrant and talented person and an incredible athlete,” he said.
“She was quiet and humble in her manner but incredibly determined to be the best she could be.
“Katia was an important member of our Team in PyeongChang, who loved the opportunity to compete with Harley and embraced her time in the Australian Olympic team.
“We are all deeply saddened to hear the news today. Life since the Games has not been easy for her and this is another timely reminder of just how fragile life is.
“Katia's death is another blow to our winter sports community who is still reeling from our loss of (Alex) Chumpy Pullin.
“But we are a close-knit community that will continue to offer support to each other at this incredibly sad time.”
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia CEO Geoff Lipshut said Katia had a special place in Australia's winter sport history.
“Katia and Harley were Australia's first figure skating world champions. She came to Australia to fulfil her sporting dreams,” he said.
“With Harley, they were world junior champions and world junior grand prix champions in 2017 and then proud members of the 2018 Australian Olympic team in Korea, 2018.
“The news today is so sad, my thoughts are with Katia's family in Russia, Harley and the skating community in Australia. I will remember Katia as a young person of great talent and remarkable potential.”
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with agencies
