Australian figure skater Katia Alexandrovskaya died in Russia

MOSCOW, Jul 19, 2020, 9News. Australian figure skater Ekaterina “Katia” Alexandrovskaya has died in Russia. The 20-year-old represented Australia with Harley Windsor at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Windsor broke the news on his Instagram tonight, 9News reported.

“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,” he posted under a photo of the duo in their Australian Olympic uniforms.

“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.”

Ian Chesterman, chef de mission for the 2018 Australian Team in PyeongChang, said “Katia’s death is another blow to our winter sports community who is still reeling from our loss of Chumpy Pullin”.

“It is enormously sad to lose Katia, who was a vibrant and talented person and an incredible athlete,” he said in a statement released by the Australian Olympic Committee.

“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.”

It is the second harrowing blow to the Australian winter sports community this month after Pullin, an Olympic snowboarder, died on a beach in Queensland.

“But we are a close-knit community that will continue to offer support to each other at this incredibly sad time,” Chesterman said.

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia CEO Geoff Lipshut says Alexandrovskaya 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 fulfill her sporting dreams.

“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 Katya as a young person of great talent and remarkable potential.”

The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed Alexandrovskaya died in Moscow, which is where she was born.
Alexandrovskaya was introduced to Windsor in late 2015 by Windsor’s coaches Galina and Andrei Pachin, the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia says on its website.

The Pachins, also from Russia, “had trained Windsor in their elegant Russian style which was perfectly suited to Alexandrovskaya’s technique, as she had trained in the Russian system. The pair gelled instantly.”

The “dynamic duo” were the first Australians to make an International Skating Union final event and to win an ISU event.

They also made history as the first Australians to win the Junior World Figure Skating Championships in Taipei City, Taiwan in 2017.