The documentary Harley & Katya explores the trials and tribulations of the figure skating duo but what happened to them and where are they now?
While figure skaters may carry themselves with incredible grace and poise when performing on the ice, the sport they compete in can often be brutal and relentless, with top athletes endlessly striving for perfection. For every success story, there are numerous examples of careers that end in tragedy and the new documentary, Harley & Katya, delves into one of them.
Harley & Katya documentary arrives on Netflix
Originally shown on ABC Australia in December 2022, Harley & Katya was made available to international viewers on Netflix on September 15, 2023.
The feature-length documentary explores the figure skating partnership of Harley Windsor and Russian-born Ekaterina “Katya” Alexandrovskaya who competed together for Australia between 2015 and 2020.
The early years of their partnership brought plenty of medal-winning success, including gold at the Junior World Championships in 2017, putting them on course to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
However, as pressure mounted on the pair amidst injury troubles, health issues and coaching changes, what happened next to Harley and Katya would bring a heartbreaking end to their skating career together.
What happened to Katya Alexandrovskaya?
Katya Alexandrovskaya died by suicide on July 18, 2020.
In the years leading up to her death, Katya reportedly struggled with depression and according to the documentary, she began drinking heavily which impacted her health.
In January 2020, Katya began treatment for epilepsy which prompted her to dissolve her partnership with Harley and retire from figure skating a month later.
Less than five months after retiring, Katya committed suicide at her home in Moscow at the age of just 20, leaving behind a note in Russian that said, “Lyublyu,” which translates to, “I love.”
Where is Harley Windsor now?
Harley Windsor, who is 26 years old as of September 2023, is still competing in the world of figure skating.
The athlete partnered with another Russian-born skater, Maria Chernyshova, in August 2021 and they competed together during an unsuccessful 2021-22 skating season, which saw their partnership dissolve by the end of the campaign.
In July 2023, it was announced that Windsor would be switching allegiances to compete for South Korea and would be partnered with Canadian-born Korean skater, Cho Hye-jin, for the 2023-24 season.
Harley & Katya is available to stream after landing on Netflix on Friday, September 15, 2023.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counsellor.