Figure skaters, their families and coaches confirmed among dead in air crash
US Figure Skating said that skaters and their teams were on board the flight after attending a training camp in Wichita, Kansas.
Two young figure skaters, two of their parents and two highly-regarded Russian figure skating coaches were among those killed after an American Airlines flight collided with an army helicopter Wednesday night and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac river.
Doug Zeghibe, the chief executive at the Skating Club of Boston, said on Thursday that skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane were among those killed, along with coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
“This will have long reaching impacts for our community,” he said during a news conference where he was visibly emotional.
US Figure Skating previously confirmed that several skaters, coaches and family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the national championships, which wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” US Figure Skating said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
“Figure skating is more than a sport – it’s a close-knit family – and we stand together.”
The Kremlin also confirmed that Ms Shishkova and Mr Naumov were aboard.
They were were well-known skaters in their own right after winning the pairs world title in 1994 in Chiba, Japan.
They moved to the US and became coaches, first at the International Skating Centre in Connecticut and since 2017 at the Skating Club of Boston.
Among their students is their 23-year-old son, Maxim, a former US junior champion.
He has finished fourth at senior nationals the past three years, narrowly missing the podium on Sunday while his parents watched at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight and three soldiers aboard a training flight on the Blackhawk helicopter.
There was no immediate cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.
The Skating Club of Boston, which is set to host the world championships in March, is among the best-known clubs in the world, producing numerous Olympic and world champions.
Among them have been two-time Olympic champion Dick Button, Olympic gold medalist Tenley Albright, two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan and Olympic silver medallist Paul Wylie.
This is the second time a plane crash has rocked the figure skating community.
On February 15 1961, a Boeing 707 travelling from New York to the world championships in Czechoslovakia crashed on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing all 72 people aboard.
That included all 18 members of the American team heading to worlds, along with 16 family members, coaches and skating officials that were on their way to support them in Prague.
The world championships were cancelled that year out of respect for the American team killed in the crash.
The European championships are taking place this week in Tallinn, Estonia. They were expected to continue as scheduled.
“The International Skating Union and the global skating community are deeply shocked by the tragic accident involving an American Airlines flight in Washington DC.
“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” the ISU said in a statement.
