Champion diver Yelena Miroshina, who won a silver medal in the 10-meter platform competition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, has been found dead in suspicious circumstances outside her Moscow apartment.
Miroshina, 21, was found dead from an apparent fall Monday at the foot of her apartment building, where she lived on the ninth floor, according to Itar-Tass. She lived in the Mitino region of northwest Moscow.
The former diver, who retired after the 1993 Russian championships, was in the fourth month of pregnancy with her first child, said former teammate Vladimir Timoshinin. She had been married for about a year.
The duty officer for the Mitino district militia said Friday that Miroshina fell out of the window of her apartment, but would give no further details.
Miroshina's death took coaches and former teammates by surprise.
"We were all in shock. I'm very sad for her," said Svetlana Timoshinina, the reigning women's 10-meter Russian National Champion and 1993 European Women's Platform Champion. "We hope they find who did it."
Although the cause of Miroshina's fall is still unclear, those who knew her and competed with her rule out suicide and believe she was murdered.
"She wanted to have the baby and live a normal life," said Timoshinin, a 1988 Olympian who won the men's 10-meter event at 1994's Goodwill Games.
"I'm certain that someone killed her," said Timoshinina. "She's not the kind of person who would have jumped."
"They say she was robbed, but no one knows anything yet," said Vyacheslav Sudarikov, one of the Russian National Team coaches.
The local prosecutor's office has begun a criminal investigation into the death, police said.
"They haven't started questioning the athletes and coaches yet," Sudarikov said. "But they probably will."
The team members said they did not know who might have been responsible for Miroshina's death.
In addition to her Olympic medal, Miroshina won the silver from the 10-meter platform at the 1991 World Championships. She was the European women's 10-meter platform champion in 1987 and 1991.
-- Sergey Lukyanov contributed to this article.
Miroshina, 21, was found dead from an apparent fall Monday at the foot of her apartment building, where she lived on the ninth floor, according to Itar-Tass. She lived in the Mitino region of northwest Moscow.
The former diver, who retired after the 1993 Russian championships, was in the fourth month of pregnancy with her first child, said former teammate Vladimir Timoshinin. She had been married for about a year.
The duty officer for the Mitino district militia said Friday that Miroshina fell out of the window of her apartment, but would give no further details.
Miroshina's death took coaches and former teammates by surprise.
"We were all in shock. I'm very sad for her," said Svetlana Timoshinina, the reigning women's 10-meter Russian National Champion and 1993 European Women's Platform Champion. "We hope they find who did it."
Although the cause of Miroshina's fall is still unclear, those who knew her and competed with her rule out suicide and believe she was murdered.
"She wanted to have the baby and live a normal life," said Timoshinin, a 1988 Olympian who won the men's 10-meter event at 1994's Goodwill Games.
"I'm certain that someone killed her," said Timoshinina. "She's not the kind of person who would have jumped."
"They say she was robbed, but no one knows anything yet," said Vyacheslav Sudarikov, one of the Russian National Team coaches.
The local prosecutor's office has begun a criminal investigation into the death, police said.
"They haven't started questioning the athletes and coaches yet," Sudarikov said. "But they probably will."
The team members said they did not know who might have been responsible for Miroshina's death.
In addition to her Olympic medal, Miroshina won the silver from the 10-meter platform at the 1991 World Championships. She was the European women's 10-meter platform champion in 1987 and 1991.
-- Sergey Lukyanov contributed to this article.