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Passenger Jet That Crashed Near Washington D.C. Carried Champion Figure Skaters

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The American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter was carrying members of the figure skating community, the U.S. Figure Skating Association (USFSA) said on Jan. 30.

In a statement, the USFSA said: “U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C. These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas"

Read More: What to Know About the Passenger Jet, Army Helicopter Collision

The competition, which occurred from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26, crowned new champions in senior women’s, men’s pairs and ice dance. The event also included competitions at the novice and junior levels, as well as development camps that are the gateway for athletes to join the national team, which competes at the world and Olympic levels.

The flight included 60 passengers (and four crew persons), but USFSA did not confirm how many passengers were members of the skating community. Russian news agency TASS, citing an unnamed source, reported that Russian-born world champions in pairs skating from 1994 Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were among the passengers.

“Our coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the crashed plane,” a source is quoted as telling the news outlet. The couple, who competed for Russia and are believed to have married in 1995, moved to the U.S. in 1998 and now coach figure skating at the Skating Club of Boston.

The Club has disclosed the names of its members who were on the flight—athletes Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, Han’s mother Jin, Lane’s mother Christine, and Shishkova and Naumov.  

Among Shishkova and Naumov’s students is their son, Maxim, who competed at nationals and finished fourth in the men's event. The Daily Mail reported that a teammate said he was not on the flight and had left Wichita earlier in the week. Maxim's performance earned him a spot on the U.S. team that is due to compete at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, Korea, in late February. 

Doug Zeghibe, CEO of Skating Club of Boston, posted on the club’s Instagram account earlier Thursday, “Our sport and this DLub have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy. Everyone is like a family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.

These athletes, coaches and parents were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the most promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The Club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

Time map; Getty Images

Members of the figure skating community have been reacting to the news. Tara Lipinski, 1998 Olympic champion who served as commentator for the US championships on NBC with Johnny Weir, posted on her Instagram stories, “It’s unimaginable the loss. We will mourn their loss and ALWAYS remember them…So many of our own were on this tragic flight and my heart aches, for them and for everyone part of this devastating accident.” Weir also reacted, saying on Instagram, “I’m praying for everyone affected by this tragic accident. Members of our skating family were on that flight returning home from nationals in Wichita. We mourn their loss and pray for their families & loved ones.”

Ilia Malinin, who just earned his third consecutive national title and trains in Virginia, initially posted, “I hope and pray for everyone who was on that flight is okay,” and after authorities said it was likely they would not find survivors, said, “I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident. The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words. My thoughts are with their families, friends, and everyone affected. We will never forget them.

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