Nancy Kerrigan Cries For 14 Members Of U.S. Figure Skating Team Killed In D.C. Plane Crash: What We Know About The Victims
by Siladitya Ray · ForbesTopline
American and Russian figure skaters—including two teenagers—were among the 60 passengers onboard a passenger plane that collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter in a crash authorities believe no one survived.
Key Facts
Fourteen members of the U.S. Figure Skating team—not including parents and coaches—were onboard the plane to Washington D.C. returning from a training camp that took place after the U.S. Championships in Kansas, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday.
In a statement to news outlets, U.S. Figure Skating confirmed “several members” of its community were on the plane.
Six people associated with Zeghibe’s club in Norwood, Massachusetts, were killed in the plane crash: skater Spencer Lane and his mother, Molly, skater Jinna Han and her mother, Jin, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married couple who were world champion pairs figure skaters from Russia in the 1990s.
Skating legend Nancy Kerrigan spoke from the Boston club Thursday, where she called the crash a “tragedy” and said she’d been up all night watching news coverage: “When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it's an even bigger blow,” she said.
Former skaters and popular color commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir opened the European Figure Skating Championships on Thursday with a tribute to the victims: "We are all hurting today," Weir said.
At least three figure skaters from Russia, including Shishkova and Naumov, were onboard the aircraft, the Russian state-run TASS News agency reported.
The national steamfitters union on Thursday said four of its members were among those killed on the American Airlines plane, but did not identify any of the victims.
School Superintendent Aaron Spence from Louden County, Virginia, said multiple former students were aboard the plane.
First responders have managed to recover more than two dozen bodies from the river and, in a press conference Thursday morning, Washington’s Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said rescue personnel “don’t believe there are any survivors.”
What Do We Know About The American Figure Skating Victims?
U.S. Figure Skating has not released details about the identities of the skaters, coaches and family members on board the plane, but Team USA posted in a statement on X that among the victims were “talented athletes, dedicated coaches and beloved family members from the US Figure Skating community," some of whom were Olympic hopefuls. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Thursday said, “On behalf of the IOC, and personally, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those affected, which we understand may include Olympians, young athletes, and their support staff.” In a post on X, Luke Wang, the U.S. junior figure skating national champion for 2023–24, wrote, “Praying for all those on the flight from Wichita to D.C. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
What Do We Know About The Russian Figure Skating Victims?
Russian state media reports identified 1994 figure skating pairs world champion duo Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov as two of the passengers on board the plane. When asked to comment about the reports of the Russian skaters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “This sad information is confirmed…our other compatriots were also there…bad news from Washington today.”
Who Are Evgenia Shishkova And Vadim Naumo?
Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, a married couple, moved from Russia to the U.S. in 1998 to train as young ice skaters. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a former U.S. junior national figure skating champion and won 4th place at the U.S. men’s figure skating championships last weekend. Both Shishkova and Naumov are listed as ‘pairs coaches’ on the Skating Club of Boston’s website.
Crucial Quote
"Skating is a very close and tightknit community. These kids and their parents — they are here at our skating facility in Norwood six, sometimes seven days a week,” Zeghibe said. “It is a close, tight bond, and I think for all of us, we have lost family.”
Key Background
A passenger plane operated by PSA Airlines—a regional carrier owned by American Airlines—plunged into the Potomac River on Wednesday after an Army helicopter collided with it as the plane was landing at the Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. The Blackhawk helicopter, which had three military personnel onboard, also crashed into the river. The aircraft involved in the crash was a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National. Details about who is at fault in the crash have not been revealed. President Donald Trump on Thursday called the incident a “real tragedy” before blaming diversity, equity and inclusion hiring policies within the FAA. He said, without proof, that people with “severe intellectual disabilities” had been hired as air traffic controllers under the Obama and Biden administrations
Tangent
This isn't the first plane crash to touch the figure skating community. In 1961, a passenger flight from New York City to Belgium crashed on approach, killing all 72 people onboard, including the entire United States figure skating team. The team was traveling to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, and 18 team members died. Another 16 people associated with the team, including parents and coaches, also died.