The tight-knit figure skating community is reeling from the devastating loss of several of their own in the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington DC on Wednesday night. Among the 64 people aboard the plane were promising young skaters, their parents, and renowned coaches returning from the US figure skating championships and development camp in Kansas.
Skating Club of Boston Mourns Skaters and Coaches
The Skating Club of Boston has confirmed that two of their young skaters, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with Spencer’s parents Jin Han and Christine Lane, and esteemed coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were passengers on the ill-fated American Airlines Flight 5342.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” lamented Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and director of the Skating Club of Boston. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six or seven days a week…Everyone is like family. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
The group had been attending the US figure skating national development camp, a program for nurturing the competitive skaters of tomorrow, following last week’s US championships in Wichita. Lane, 16, had posted a photo from inside a plane on the runway before the flight, eager to return home from the camp.
Renowned Coaches Among the Victims
Shishkova and Naumov, the married coaches accompanying the skaters, were former world champions in pairs skating for Russia. After winning the 1994 World Championships, they had made the US their home since 1998, dedicating their lives to coaching the next generation of skating talent.
Another coach aboard the plane was Inna Volyanskaya, a former Soviet skater who had been an integral part of the Washington figure skating club. Her ex-husband and fellow coach Ross Lansel expressed his grief, noting how much Volyanskaya meant to her students and how difficult it will be without her.
Skating Organizations Express Condolences
US Figure Skating and the International Skating Union have both released statements mourning this unfathomable loss that has sent shockwaves through the skating community around the world. IOC President Thomas Bach also expressed his deep sadness and extended sympathies to all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.
“Figure skating is more than a sport – it’s a close-knit family – and we stand together.”
– International Skating Union
Flight Crew and Union Members Among Other Victims
As more victims are being identified by loved ones, the true scope of this tragedy continues to unfold. North Carolina-based flight attendant Ian Epstein, who was passionate about flying and had previously been hailed a hero for safely evacuating passengers from a burning plane, was among the American Airlines crew on the flight.
The pilots of Flight 5342 have also been identified, with the first officer Sam Lilley, 28, leaving behind an upcoming fall wedding, his devastated father shared. Four members of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters union were also confirmed to have been aboard the plane.
As recovery efforts continue and investigations into the cause of the crash get underway, the reverberating anguish is palpable among the families, friends, and communities grappling with these sudden, incomprehensible losses. The skating world and the nation mourn alongside them, forever touched by the bright lives cut short in this catastrophic accident.
