HEARTBREAKING

Youth Figure Skaters, Coaches, and Family Were Aboard Downed American Airlines Flight

The skaters were returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas, held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday night was carrying a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents, and coaches.

They were returning from an invitation-only development camp that was held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which took place from Jan. 20 to 26 in Wichita, Kansas, where the downed flight originated, the Wall Street Journal reported.

None of the 67 people aboard the aircraft survived the crash, which happened as the American Airlines flight was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said Thursday.

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U.S. Figure Skating confirmed members of its community were aboard the American Airlines flight. Skaters who qualified for the elite division of the National Development Camp—which is typically for skaters under 16—had stayed on until Wednesday, The Wichita Eagle reported.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the organization said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

The organization didn’t immediately release the names of the skaters on board, but Russian state media reported that among the coaches on the flight were the married former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, who won the pairs title for Russia at the 1994 world championships. They have trained young American skaters since 1998, according to Reuters.

Their son Maxim Naumov, 23, had also competed in last week’s championships but was reportedly on a different flight.

The Skating Club of Boston wrote on Instagram that it believed Shishkova and Naumov were among the crash victims, along with the club’s skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, and their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane.

“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy. Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together for six or seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like a family,” the club said in a statement on Instagram.

The skaters aboard the flight had watched the U.S. championships and then trained for several days with officials who were considering them for international events, the Journal reported.

On Wednesday, Lane posted photos and videos of his time at the National Development Camp, thanking his coaches and fellow skaters for an “amazing experience.”

“He’s a young skater, very promising,” fellow skater Jon Maravilla told The Daily Beast.

Maravilla said he had spent a lot of time with the Lane family at the NDC and was stuck by how excited they all were about Spencer’s success.

“I just recall how excited [his dad] was because his son was doing so well,” Maravilla said. “He had just landed a huge jump, and he was so excited about his future, and they couldn’t stop talking about it. He was infectious.”

Jonah Sobieraj, a figure skater who said he has been friends with Han for seven years, told the Daily Beast that she was known for being warmhearted and kind, in addition to an burgeoning star on the ice.

“She always wears a smile,” he recalled. “She had huge dreams and amazing talents. She was enthusiastic, caring, and an amazing friend to all.”

Taylia McGhee, a figure skater who said she has practiced and competed with some of those who were on board the flight, told the Daily Beast her “heart is broken.”

“They were the sweetest and truly worked so hard,” she said. “They had so much talent and dreams. My heart is in such grief.”

Russian state media also reported that Tatyana Tarasova, who many considered to be one of the sport’s greatest coaches ever, was also likely among the crash victims.

A Kremlin spokesman offered condolences to all the victims’ friends and families, TASS reported.

“Bad news from Washington today. We regret and offer our condolences to the families and friends who lost [their loved ones], and to those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not plan to personally offer his condolences to President Donald Trump.

Soon after news of the crash broke, young skaters on social media quickly tried to piece together which of their friends might have been on board. On Instagram, 14-year-old skater Jasmin Liu listed several young champions she worried might have been on the flight.

“Praying for everyone’s safety,” she wrote.

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