
Skaters killed in plane crash were Olympic hopefuls, peers say: 'Absolutely remarkable'
Emotions were running high at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday after six people with ties to the organization died in a plane crash near Reagan International Airport Wednesday night.
Among those who spoke were Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, who couldn't hold back tears while talking about the crash.
President Donald Trump said there were no survivors after an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.
The plane was carrying 64 people, among them teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane and their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Three members of The Skating Club of Boston — Misha Mitrofanov, Jimmy Ma and Alisa Efimova — also spoke of their peers, who they say were the next generation of hopeful U.S. Olympians.
"The potential that they showed on the ice and the capabilities they had at such a young age showed that they had promise for the future of this sport," Mitrofanov, whose partner is Efimova, told reporters Thursday.
Mitrofanov and Efimova had just won the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, in the pairs discipline. That's where the American Airlines flight was coming from. Han and Lane were returning from a developmental camp over the weekend.
"The camp basically brings them in for the championships so that they can watch, for example, Jimmy, or at least an ice skate at a championship level," Mitrofanov said. "Afterwards, they are part of a fairly strict routine. ... Lot of training, lots of drills and exercises that the U.S. Figure Skating wants to see."
Han, 13, and Lane, 16, were chosen for the developmental camp because of the promise they showed, and Ma was blunt about just how promising these two skaters were.
"Absolutely phenomenal," Ma said. "If I was their age back when I was their age, they would blow me out of the water. Even Jinna, at 13 years old, I couldn't do anything. She was already 10 times better than me at such a young age.
"They showed championship-level skating. It would take time for them to develop to maximize their full potential. But the amount they were able to achieve in such a short amount of time was absolutely remarkable."
Efimova said the campers were spotted in the crowd in the red jackets they would wear, and as she worked along with Mitrofanov to win in pairs, she used their cheering as motivation.
"They all have these red jackets, so you can really, really identify this community during the competition, which helps me personally a lot to bring a lot of joy into skating," Efimova said.
Ma also pointed out how great Shishkova and Naumov, winners at the 1994 world championships in pairs while competing in two Olympic Games, were as coaches.
"Their meticulousness in developing young skaters is almost unparalleled," Ma explained. "You could tell by their son, Max, who I consider not just a friend, but a fierce competitor. I look at him every day, I'm like, 'Damn, I got to do better.' That was all them."
The Skating Club of Boston wasn't the only figure skating community that was hit by this. The Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society posted on social media that "beloved members" of its team were on the flight. Skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov and two of his youth skaters were also aboard the fight, according to Kirsanov's wife, per ABC News.
"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."
As the figure skating world and others affected by the crash mourn the losses of loved ones, Mitrofanov said skaters will continue to train and compete with their "family" in mind.
"Watching these kids skate and watching their fire and love for the sport, that's what helped us to, honestly, continue training," Mitrofanov said. "Watching these kids develop helps us want to push ourselves as well. It's a two-way street that they look up to us, but we also look up to them."
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Massive Debt Revealed at Center of Olympian's Shock Divorce
Court documents reveal that compounding amounts of debt may have been at the center of Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte's decision to call it quits on his marriage of seven years. Page Six reports that Lochte, 40, and ex Kayla Rae, 33—who announced their separation June 4—have racked up nearly $270,000 in debt over the course of their marriage. The couple owes around $99,000 in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the years 2021 and 2022, and in December 2024, they were hit with a bill of $2,231.76 for 'unpaid' costs, 'late fees,' and 'attorney fees' on their home in Gainesville, Florida. Adding to that, the 12-time Olympic medalist reportedly owes $127,977.73 to the Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinic, where Lochte may have been treated for a November 2023 car accident, Page Six reported. The hospital added that a separate $39,720.15 was owed for a February 2024 visit. Reid filed for divorce from Lochte on March 26, according to court docs, Page Six reported. In a statement posted to Instagram, she said it was a 'hard decision' she made after 'deep prayer and reflection.' 'I hold marriage in the highest regard, so this has been one of the most painful, revealing, and challenging seasons of my life,' she said. Lochte followed with a statement of his own, saying he was 'deeply grateful for the life we've built together and especially for the love we share for our three children.' Lochte and Rae share son, Caiden Zane, 8, and daughters, Live Rae, 5, and Georgia June, 1, together.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former Spurs Star Makes Major Career Announcement on Monday
Former Spurs Star Makes Major Career Announcement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the 2025-26 campaign approaches, the University of Hawaii men's basketball program is preparing for a pivotal transition. Advertisement Under the guidance of 10th-year head coach Eran Ganot, the Rainbow Warriors closed out last season with a 15-16 overall mark and a 7-13 record in Big West play, finishing ninth in the conference and missing the postseason tournament for the first time since 2009-10. Despite a strong home record (13-7 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center), inconsistency on the road (2-9) and in conference tipped the balance toward a rebuilding year. However, on Monday, Hawaii Athletics announced a landmark hire: NBA champion and FIBA luminary Patty Mills will join the Rainbow Warriors as the program's first-ever general manager. Selected 55th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Mills signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and was a key contributor off the bench en route to their 2014 title. Advertisement Over the course of 16 seasons, Mills played for seven franchises, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Blazers and most notably the Spurs. A fixture on the Australian Boomers, Mills has represented his country since 2007. As captain at Tokyo 2020, he scored an Olympic medal-game record 42 points to secure Australia's first-ever Olympic medal. Australia guard Patty Mills (5).© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images As a longtime Oahu resident during the NBA offseason, Mills brings both international basketball pedigree and deep local ties to the role. Off the court, Mills has been a committed community figure on Oahu's North Shore for over a decade. Advertisement In 2022, he sponsored the inaugural Patty Mills North Shore Classic, a four-team tournament hosted in Laie, where Hawaii clinched the title. "This role is not only a professional milestone, but a personal one as well," Mills said. In remarks shared on Monday, Ganot noted, 'Having immersed himself in the island culture for the last decade, Patty shares those values and his love for the islands is abundantly clear." Related: Ben Simmons Update Announced After Clippers Issue Big Demand Related: Shaquille O'Neal Makes Strong Statement Amid Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kaylee McKeown in sad post-race admission after being caught up in Aussie DQ drama
Swimming stars Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan have opened up about their struggles after the Paris Olympics, after the backstroke world record holder had a disqualification at the Australian selection trials overturned. McKeown was left absolutely devastated in the heats of the Aussie selection trials for the Swimming World Championships next month. A subtle head movement before her 50m backstroke race saw her disqualified from the race and leaving her chances of qualification hanging by a thread. Cate Campbell initially believed McKeown's chances of overturning her DQ would be slim. Footage showed the Olympic gold medallist flinching - which is illegal in backstroke - while waiting for the start of the race. "There was a little head movement. From the time the starter says 'take your marks' to the point the gun goes, you have to remain completely still," Campbell said on Channel Nine. McKeown was disqualified for an early start, but after a two-hour appeal, the ban was overturned. McKeown argued she was distracted by movement prior to the starter's signal and the officials agreed. McKeown - the world record holder - went on to win Monday night's final at the South Australian Aquatic Centre in 27.33 seconds. She managed to hold out young swimming superstar O'Callaghan in a tight race to secure her position at the world championships in Singapore. Although she was well shy of her world record of 26.86 global benchmark set in October 2023. And the five-time Olympic gold medallist showed real grit having used the earlier drama to propel her to victory. "Things happen and it just crumbled that way," she said. "I knew as soon as I started, what I had done. But thankfully we had the technology to look back at footage and saw the distraction and I got reinstated." World Record Holder Kaylee McKeown was called for a False Start in the 50 Back Prelims. (McKeown is in lane 4) — SwimSwam Live (@SwimSwamLive) June 9, 2025 And bravely, McKeown opened up on her mental health battles after being so successful in the pool at the Olympics. McKeown became the first Australian swimmer to win four individual medals at an Olympics after blitzing the competition in Paris. The 23-year-old has five Olympic gold medals and became one of the superstars of Australian sport. However, late last year McKeon withdrew from the World Cup series in China just one day into the competition having admitted she needed ti priorities her mental health. And after speaking to Channel Nine after earning qualification to Singapore in her best event, McKeown was honest about her state of mind. "Coming off the Olympics, I was in a really dark place mentally," McKeown said. "When you go from such a high, straight back to such a low, and you're left scrambling for ideas on what you're going to do next, it is hard to find your feet once again." Speaking about the mental battles, McKeown said Aussie swimmers place a lot of pressure on themselves when competing for their country. "I don't think people really know ... how much pressure we put on ourselves," McKeown added in Adelaide. "You're just so fixated on wanting to swim for yourself, for your country and for your team. You have all that amount of pressure to just do it ... and it (winning or not) really just comes down to nail bites." And in a touching moment, O'Callaghan agreed with McKeown and opened up about her own struggles. "I'm the exact same as Kaylee," O'Callaghan said. "There's immense pressure to perform at the Olympic Games, it's the pinnacle of our sport." O'Callaghan shot to superstardom in the pool having beaten Ariarne Titmus in the 200m event. She finished with three individual gold medals, before she had even turned 20 years old. And the swimmer admitted all the time in the pool meant she had lost a lot of her social life. "I noticed I don't have friends outside of swimming because I have dedicated such a strong amount of time from school to now," O'Callaghan said. And it was being able to separate swimming and her private life that enabled O'Callaghan to find that balance. "That was something after the Olympics I got to learn, was actually having that freedom for five months to be able to go places, do things, without the consequence of swimming or having swimming in the back of my mind," she added. "And it's just a nice refresher to know that there's opportunities and there's other connections outside (swimming) because a lot of the time our bubble is just swimming." Readers seeking support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14)