Picture

​Countdown to Beijing 2022
Picture
Picture
  • Home
  • Aerials
    • Aerial Skiing About
    • Aerial Skiing News
    • Gabi Ash
    • Laura Peel
    • Danielle Scott
    • Abbey Willcox
  • Moguls
    • Moguls Skiing About
    • Mogul Skiing News
    • Jakara Anthony
    • Britt Cox
    • Matt Graham
    • Brodie Summers
  • Park & Pipe
    • Park & Pipe About
    • Park & Pipe News
    • Tess Coady
    • Matt Cox
    • Scotty James
    • Valentino Guseli
  • Ski Cross
    • Ski Cross About
    • Ski Cross News
    • Sami Kennedy-Sim
  • Snowboard Cross
    • Snowboard Cross About
    • Snowboard Cross News
    • Cameron Bolton
    • Belle Brockhoff
    • Adam Dickson
    • Jarryd Hughes
    • Adam Lambert
  • Individual Athletes
    • Individual Athletes About
    • Individual Athletes News
    • Greta Small
    • Bree Walker
    • Jackie Narracott
    • Tahli Gill
    • Dean Hewitt
    • Kailani Craine
    • Brendan Kerry
    • Andrew Dodds
    • Chantelle Kerry
  • About
    • OWIA News
    • Media Centre
    • OWIA About
    • OWIA History
    • Executive & Staff
    • OWIA Policies & Documents
    • OWIA Calendar
    • OWIA Video Wall
    • Sponsors & Partners
    • Australian Sports Foundation
    • North American Medical Team
    • Newsletter
    • Privacy
    • Contact

Breaking the ice – Aussie Pair set for history books

10/2/2018

 
PictureEkaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor of Australia train during a practice session ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 8, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. © 2018 Getty Images
When Harley Windsor and Ekaterina Aleksandrovskaya take to the ice it’s them against the world.“It’s just us, we only think of us,” Windsor said. “We block everything else out.”

Their extraordinary journey – from complete strangers who lived on the opposite sides of the world, to Winter Olympians in just two years – is one that has seen the international skating fraternity sit up and take notice.

“It’s taken a while to get used to all the attention,” Windsor said. “I’m still learning how to speak to the media, how to tell my story without letting my inner bogan come out too much.”

Thankfully there was no sign of that ‘inner bogan’ when the team took to the ice for their first Olympic practice session today - a light session that saw their remarkable unison on display once more.

“It was pretty good today,” Alexandrovskaya said. “We did what we wanted. It was good.”

And, it’s been good since the start of the couple’s unlikely pairing in Moscow, at a trial session set up by Windsor’s coaches.

“I was ready to quit when I suddenly got a call saying there were some partners available in Russia,” Windsor said. “Within a week I had my Visa and flew over there. I had no idea what to expect but I wanted to give my skating career one more chance.”

“I was meant to try out with three different girls, but I trialled with Katia first and I knew I didn’t need to try with any others,” Windsor said. “We just clicked straight away.”

But their staggering rise through the ranks – which saw them claim the Junior World Championship Title in Taipai last year – hasn’t been without a lot of hard work, sweat, and tears.

“At first I found the move to pairs skating really hard,” Windsor said. “I was a singles skater before, and I really didn’t have the muscle strength for it.”

“For the first three months I’d finish training and just be completely exhausted. There was one day I tried to drive myself home and I was so tired I couldn’t even lift my arms to hold the steering wheel.”

“And I’ve never trained so hard before. Some days we do seventeen run throughs of things. Katia likes working hard, she’s used to training really intensely. It’s been a lot of work.”

But there’s no doubt the work has paid off, with the pair ready to make their Olympic debut, and Windsor set to etch his name into the history books – as the first Indigenous Winter Olympian.

“I really want to be a role model,” the 21-year-old said. “My Aboriginal heritage is part of who I am and I’m really proud of that. It will always be a part of me.”

And, while the young team are keeping their goal – a top 12 finish – realistic for this Games, Windsor says there’s no limit to how far this unlikely pairing might go.

“I think we will definitely have another one or two Olympics in us, and we will be aiming for a Grand Prix medal and maybe even an Olympic medal one day. This is just the start for us.”

Windsor and Alexandrovskaya compete their short program on Day 5 (February 14).

Katherine Firkin
olympics.com.au



Comments are closed.

    INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE   NEWS ARCHIVE

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    September 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    July 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

    NEWS  CATEGORIES

    All
    Andrew Dodds
    Ashleigh Werner
    Bree Walker
    Brendan Kerry
    Brooklee Han
    Chantelle Kerry
    Cheltzie Lee
    Danielle O'Brien
    Dean Hewitt
    Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya
    Greg Merriman
    Greta Small
    Harley Windsor
    Holly Harris
    Jackie Narracott
    James Min
    Jason Chan
    Kailani Craine
    Mikaela Sparre
    Sarah Blizzard
    Stephanie Fernandez
    Tahli Gill

Picture
OLYMPIC WINTER INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA
​

CONTACT
​
O'Brien Icehouse
Level 2
105 Pearl River Road
Docklands, VIC 3008
Australia

P
hone: +61 3 9686 2977

ABOUT                 
OWIA History
Executive & Staff
Policies & Documents 
Sponsors & Partners
OWIA Calendar

Australian Sports Foundation
North American Medical
Media Center
​
​SITE MAP
AERIAL SKIING
News
ALPINE SKIING
News
​
MOGUL SKIING
News
PARK & PIPE
News
SKI CROSS
News
SNOWBOARD CROSS
News

INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES
News


Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

​Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy  |  2020 © Olympic Winter Institute of Australia  All rights reserved