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, news agency Associated Press reported.
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.
Russia also confirmed that Shishkova and 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 Center in Connecticut and since 2017 at the Skating Club of Boston.
“This will have long reaching impacts for our community,” Doug Zeghibe said at a press conference.
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.”
{{/usCountry}}“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.”
{{/usCountry}}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 Sunday while his parents watched at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, AP reported.
There were 64 people, including 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.
About Skating Club of Boston
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 medalist Paul Wylie.
Jimmy Ma, who finished fifth at the US championships on Sunday, is among current athletes from the Skating Club of Boston.