Olympic figure skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya was 'forced to work as a stripper' after epilepsy diagnosis ended career

TRAGIC Olympic ice skater Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya was reportedly forced to work as a stripper after epilepsy cut her career short.

The 20-year-old died at the weekend after falling from a window of a six-storey residential block in Moscow.

Now MailOnline is reporting that the Russian-born athlete who competed for Australia in competitions, fell on hard times after her diagnosis.

Alexandrovskaya, who competed at the  2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang was "forced to work in a striptease club' to make ends meet".

She was also believed to have been suffering with depression during the coronavirus lockdown at a time when "she was also trying to forge a new life".

Alexandrovskaya is a two-time Australian National Champion pair-skating with 23-year-old partner Harley Windsor.

Windsor's parents have Australian Aboriginal roots and he became the first Indigenous Australian to compete at the Winter Olympics.

Their crowning moment came when they became the first Australian pair-skaters to compete at the Olympics for ten years.

But they finished 18th in the short program, missing out on the top-16 who progressed into the free skate.

Alexandrovskaya, who started skating at the age of four, retired from the sport in February after sustaining several injuries.

She was advised to hang the skates up after it was discovered she suffered from epilepsy.

Ian Chesterman, chef de mission for the Australian team in Pyeongchang, said her death was a terrible blow for all those who knew the skater.

Mr Chesterman said: "It is enormously sad to lose Katia, who was a vibrant and talented person and an incredible athlete. 

"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."

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