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Russian skating couple Shishkova and Naumov, 1994 world champions, were on crashed US plane
Shishkova and Naumov, a married couple and 1994 world champions in pairs figure skating, had reportedly lived in the US since 1998, coaching young skaters.
Former world champion ice skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, both Russian-born coaches, were on the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington DC on Wednesday night.
Shishkova and Naumov, who were married and won the 1994 world championship in pairs figure skating, had reportedly lived in the United States since at least 1998 and coached young skaters.
Returning from the competition, the couple was travelling with a group of young skaters. According to Russia’s Mash news outlet, a list of 13 skaters was published, many of whom were children of Russian emigrants to the United States, and it was believed they were on the plane.
Reports also confirmed that Inna Volyanskaya, a former Soviet Union figure skater, was on board, as said by TASS. She was listed as a coach at the Washington Figure Skating Club on its website.
Some Russian news agencies speculated that Maxim Naumov, the son of Shishkova and Naumov who competed for the United States, might have been on the flight. However, competitor Anton Spiridonov told the Daily Mail that he saw the younger Naumov depart two days earlier.
The governing body for figure skating in the US, US Figure Skating, said that the athletes, coaches, and their families were returning from the National Development Camp, which was held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.
“We are deeply saddened by this horrific tragedy and offer our heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families,” US Figure Skating said in a statement.
The Kremlin offered condolences to the families of the Russian citizens who perished in the crash, confirming that Shishkova and Naumov were indeed on board.
“Other of our fellow citizens were on board. This is sad news from Washington. We mourn and extend our condolences to the families and friends,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The Russian Figure Skating Federation also conveyed its sympathies but refrained from providing further comments on the incident.
A mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter resulted in both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.
Officials have not confirmed the exact number of fatalities, but they have said that there may be no survivors.
