Tributes for skaters killed in midair collision planned at figure skating championships in Boston
Emotions are expected to run high as Boston plays host to the World Figure Skating Championships.
The competition begins at TD Garden on Wednesday and runs through Sunday. This is the first time the Skating Club of Boston has hosted the World Figure Skating Championships since 2016.
In January two skaters, their mothers, and two coaches connected to the club were killed when an American Airlines jet collided with a Blackhawk helicopter while landing at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.
Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine Lane were on an American Airlines flight coming back from a national development skating camp in Wichita, Kansas when their plane collided with an Army helicopter, killing everyone on board.
13-year-old Jinna Han from Mansfield and her mother along with renowned Russian figure skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumo were the other four connected to the club.
'Horrific tragedy': 6 people with ties to Mass. figure skating club killed in midair collision
Doug Zeghibe, CEO and executive director of the Skating Club of Boston called Spencer Lane and Jinna Han the 'future of the sport' of figure skating.
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov joined the Skating Club of Boston as coaches in 2017, according to Zeghibe.
A total of 28 members of the figure skating community were killed in the collision.
The President of the International Skating Union said those killed in the crash will be honored on Wednesday with a tribute and remembrance.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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