Latest news with #Shishkova
CNN
31-01-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Figure skaters killed in plane crash include world champions and young athletes in a tragic case of déjà vu
Once again, figure skaters representing the past, present and future of the sport perished in a catastrophic plane crash – devastating a global community far too familiar with tragedy. No one survived the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter Wednesday night, authorities said. '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.,' read a statement from the organization, America's governing body for figure skating. 'These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts.' US Figure Skating has not confirmed the total number of skaters killed. But a married pair of skating champions, two young skaters and their mothers were among those lost in the plane crash, the Skating Club of Boston said Thursday. The multigenerational loss evoked painful memories of the 1961 plane crash that killed 73 people – including all 18 members of the US figure skating team headed to the world figure skating championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. That disaster killed not just elite athletes but also their coaches, leaving seismic voids in US figure skating for generations to come. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov broke the mold of serious, stoic Russian pairs teams and earned legions of fans worldwide. Their cheerful, tongue-in-cheek performance won the 1994 world championships. Like many top Russian skaters in the 1990s, Shishkova and Naumov moved to the US and became coaches. The couple is survived by a son, 23-year-old Maxim Naumov, a US men's figure skater who just earned fourth place at the national championships on Sunday. Shishkova, Naumov and their son represented the Skating Club of Boston, which also lost several other members in the crash. The tragedy will have a profound impact on the world figure skating championships in March, which will take place in Boston. A longtime friend of the couple, renowned figure skating coach Rafael Arutyunyan, said Shishkova and Naumov 'were very nice people, very good professionals and very good people.' 'I cannot believe they don't exist in this world anymore,' he told CNN. 'All of our community was respectful to them and liked them, so I feel they'll stay with us forever.' Arutyunyan's skaters practiced in silence on Thursday as a tribute to the victims. After the 1961 crash, it became common for teams to not travel together, said Arutyunyan, who's coached Olympic medalists Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Nathan Chen. He said he hopes athletes and coaches will travel less. 'We are responsible for our kids,' Arutyunyan said. Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane, were also killed in the crash, the Skating Club of Boston said. Jinna Han passed US Figure Skating's highest-level skills test with honors in 2023. Spencer Lane won this season's Eastern Sectional competition in the intermediate division. 'We watched Jinna just grow up here – from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old who you wouldn't think was 13,' said Doug Zeghibe, executive director of the Skating Club of Boston. He described the teen as 'a great performer, a great competitor, and a great kid.' Spencer, 16, posted one of the last photos from inside the plane before it collided with the military helicopter. Before the plane took off, he captured a photo of the right wing and captioned it 'ICT -> DCA' – the airport codes for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Jinna and Spencer were among the young skaters who attended the National Development Camp after the US championships last weekend to work with coaches and top skaters, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan said. 'So this is US figure skating's future,' Brennan said. 'This would be the young teenagers who we would expect to see bubble to the surface, rise up and compete moving forward, even to the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.' Famous members and alumni of the Boston skating club, including Nancy Kerrigan and Dr. Tenley Albright, wept as they visited the rink to support each other Thursday. 'We came here because we needed to be together,' said Albright, the first US woman to capture Olympic skating gold in 1956. 'We're family … and the skaters and the people who were on that plane, they're our family, too.' Albright lost more than a dozen friends in the 1961 plane crash. She, too, had considered flying to Czechoslovakia. 'But I was in my last year of medical school and couldn't go,' the skating icon said. Six decades of processing that tragedy hasn't prepared her to handle this week's devastation. 'I don't know how to handle this,' the 89-year-old said. Kerrigan, a two-time Olympic medalist, said she was stunned to learn she knew some of the people on the plane. 'The kids here really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here,' Kerrigan said, visibly emotional. 'I feel for the athletes, the skaters and their families, but (also for) anyone that was on that plane – not just the skaters – because it's such a tragic event.' Skaters and coaches still talk about the disaster that killed the entire 1961 US world team. The talent included US ice dance champions Diane Carol Sherbloom and Larry Pierce; Olympic pairs skaters Maribel Yerxa Owen and Dudley Shaw Richards; and Owen's mother, renowned coach Maribel Yerxa Vinson-Owen. In honor of those victims, US Figure Skating established a memorial fund that has given 'more than $20 million in financial support to thousands of athletes for skating-related and academic expenses,' according to the group's website. Now, 'this sport is dealing with another tragedy of this magnitude involving air travel,' Brennan said. And once again, the disaster cut short young athletes' lives, 'their hopes and their dreams to represent the United States in international competition and the Olympics.'
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Doomed American Eagle flight was carrying US figure skaters home from a training camp
Elite U.S. figure skaters were on board the American Eagle flight that collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday, U.S. Figure Skating said early Thursday. Two Russian world champions were also among the passengers on the doomed flight, Russian state media reported. U.S. Figure Skating said the athletes were returning from a training camp in Wichita, Kansas. 'These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,' the sports organization said in a statement. 'We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts,' it added. It was not immediately clear how many U.S. skaters were on board the American Eagle Flight 5342 that was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, according to the airline's parent company, American Airlines. The 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championship, which serves as the final qualifier for the U.S. World and Junior Championship teams, concluded Sunday in Wichita and was immediately followed by the National Development Camp. The camp serves as a launchpad for athletes vying for their spot on Team USA in upcoming world championships, consisting of top figure skaters. 'Athletes participate in a three-day educational training program to accelerate their exposure to High Performance Programs and Team USA,' U.S. Figure Skating says on its website. 'Athletes also have the opportunity to be selected for advanced novice and junior international competitions and other high performance programs and competitions at the conclusion of the camp.' Russian world pairs figure skating champions, married couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also among the passengers, according to Russian state news agencies Tass and Ria Novosti. Both agencies cited an unnamed source in their reporting. Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, won the pairs figure skating event at the 1994 World Championship and had been living in the U.S. since 1998 following their retirement from competitive skating, according to Tass. They were working as coaches for skaters that included the Russian national team. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian nationals were on board but did not specify whether Shishkova and Naumov were on the flight. 'Bad news from Washington today,' he told reporters in his daily news conference. 'We grieve and console with the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash.' 'Sad news is being confirmed,' he said. This article was originally published on This article was originally published on
CNN
31-01-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Plane crash kills world champion figure skaters and the ‘future' of the sport in a tragic case of déjà vu
CNN — Once again, figure skaters representing the past, present and future of the sport perished in a catastrophic plane crash – devastating a global community far too familiar with tragedy. No one survived the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter Wednesday night, authorities said. '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.,' read a statement from the organization, America's governing body for figure skating. 'These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts.' US Figure Skating has not confirmed the total number of skaters killed. But a married pair of skating champions, two young skaters and their mothers were among those lost in the plane crash, the Skating Club of Boston said Thursday. The multigenerational loss evoked painful memories of the 1961 plane crash that killed 73 people – including all 18 members of the US figure skating team headed to the world figure skating championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. That disaster killed not just elite athletes but also their coaches, leaving seismic voids in US figure skating for generations to come. World champions and parents of an elite skater perish in the crash Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov broke the mold of serious, stoic Russian pairs teams and won legions of fans worldwide. Their cheerful, tongue-in-cheek performance won the 1994 world championships. Like many top Russian skaters in the 1990s, Shishkova and Naumov moved to the US and became coaches. The couple is survived by a son, 23-year-old Maxim Naumov, a US men's figure skater who just earned fourth place at the national championships on Sunday. Shishkova, Naumov and their son represented the Skating Club of Boston, which also lost several other members in the crash. The tragedy will have a profound impact on the world figure skating championships in March, which will take place in Boston. A longtime friend of the couple, renowned figure skating coach Rafael Arutyunyan, is mourning the death of his friends even as he continues to train his skaters. 'They were very nice people, very good professionals and very good people,' Arutyunyan told CNN. 'I cannot believe they don't exist in this world anymore.' His trainees practiced in silence on Thursday as a tribute to the victims. 'I came to my rink and I said, no music today,' he said. Arutyunyan — who's coached legendary skaters like Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen and Nathan Chen – said after the 1961 crash, it became commonplace for teams not to travel together, and he hopes that athletes and coaches will travel less. 'We are responsible for our kids,' he said. 'I know all these coaches,' he said. 'All of our community was respectful to them and liked them, so I feel they'll stay with us forever.' 2 young athletes were among 'US figure skating's future' Skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane, were also killed in the crash, the Skating Club of Boston said. Jinna Han passed US Figure Skating's highest-level skills test with honors in 2023. Spencer Lane won this season's Eastern Sectional competition in the intermediate division. 'We watched Jinna just grow up here – from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old who you wouldn't think was 13,' said Doug Zeghibe, executive director of the Skating Club of Boston. He described the teen as 'a great performer, a great competitor, and a great kid.' Spencer, 16, posted one of the last photos from inside the plane before it collided with the military helicopter. Before the plane took off, he captured a photo of the right wing and captioned it ' ICT -> DCA ' – the airport codes for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Spencer Lane just won this season's Eastern Sectional competition in the intermediate division. Jinna and Spencer were among the young skaters who attended the National Development Camp after the US championships last weekend to work with coaches and top skaters, CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan said. 'So this is US figure skating's future,' Brennan said. 'This would be the young teenagers who we would expect to see bubble to the surface, rise up and compete moving forward, even to the 2030 Winter Olympic Games.' 'I don't know how to handle this' Famous members and alumni of the Boston skating club, including Nancy Kerrigan and Dr. Tenley Albright, wept as they visited the rink to support each other Thursday. 'We came here because we needed to be together,' said Albright, the first US woman to capture Olympic skating gold in 1956. 'We're family … and the skaters and the people who were on that plane, they're our family, too.' Albright lost more than a dozen friends in the 1961 plane crash. She, too, had considered flying to Czechoslovakia. 'But I was in my last year of medical school and couldn't go,' the skating icon said. Six decades of processing that tragedy hasn't prepared her to handle this week's devastation. 'I don't know how to handle this,' the 89-year-old said. Kerrigan, a two-time Olympic medalist, said she was stunned to learn she knew some of the people on the plane. 'The kids here really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here,' Kerrigan said, visibly emotional. 'I feel for the athletes, the skaters and their families, but (also for) anyone that was on that plane – not just the skaters – because it's such a tragic event.' The horrors of 1961 strike again Skaters and coaches still talk about the disaster that killed the entire 1961 US world team. The talent included US ice dance champions Diane Carol Sherbloom and Larry Pierce; Olympic pairs skaters Maribel Yerxa Owen and Dudley Shaw Richards; and Owen's mother, renowned coach Maribel Yerxa Vinson-Owen. In honor of those victims, US Figure Skating established a memorial fund that has given 'more than $20 million in financial support to thousands of athletes for skating-related and academic expenses,' according to the group's website. Now, 'this sport is dealing with another tragedy of this magnitude involving air travel,' Brennan said. And once again, the disaster cut short young athletes' lives, 'their hopes and their dreams to represent the United States in international competition and the Olympics.'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Victims of American Airlines Crash Include U.S. Athletes, Figure Skaters
As further information comes to light regarding Wednesday night's tragic airplane crash over Washington D.C., more is being learned about the identities of those onboard. People reported that 'several members' of the U.S. figure skating team were onboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which plummeted into the Potomac River after colliding with a Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60 helicopter around 8:45 p.m. local time as the plane approached for landing at Ronald Reagan International Airport. U.S. Figure Skating confirmed to the outlet that an unspecified number of members were on the flight. The members had been in Wichita, Kansas, the flight's city of origin, for the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships which were held last week."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.," they said in a statement. "These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,' it continued. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.' Also on board the plane were married Russian figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, The Guardian reported. Shishkova and Naumov took silver and bronze medals in pair skating at the 1993 World Championships. They also won a silver and four bronze medals at the European Championships and "claimed victory at the International Skating Union Grand Prix Final for the 1995/96 season.' After retiring in 1998, the couple moved to America where they trained young to Ludmila Velikova, Shishkova and Naumov's childhood trainer, there were around 14 skaters and trainers aboard the plane. She also clarified earlier reports that the couple's son, Maxim, was also on the flight, telling the outlet that he was not present on the trip. "They were my favorite sports people,' Velikova told Reuters. 'They were part of my first attempt at the world championships and became champions in 1994. They were talented and beautiful people,' she continued. 'Apart from anything else, they were my children. Zhenya trained with me from the age of 11 and Vladik from age 14. They were like my own children. What's happened is awful. The best people have been taken away from us.'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tearful Nancy Kerrigan Speaks About D.C. Crash That Killed Figure Skaters
Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan tearfully offered condolences to the members of her former skating club who lost their lives in D.C. plane crash, calling the loss a 'blow.' 'I feel for the athletes, the skaters and their families, but [also] anyone who was on that plane,' Kerrigan said during a press conference at the Skating Club of Boston's rink Thursday. Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said Thursday that skaters Jinna Han, Spencer Lane and their mothers died in the crash, as well as coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Shishkova and Naumov competed in the 1994 Olympics, where Kerrigan won a silver medal. 'When you know so many people on the plane, it's an even bigger blow,' Kerrigan said. Fourteen members of the figure skating community died when an Army helicopter crashed into American Airlines flight Wednesday night near Reagan International Airport. The flight was coming from Wichita, Kansas, where the U.S. figure skating championships were held. 'Anytime I've been able to be here and watch them grow, the kids care,' Kerrigan said. 'They really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here.' Kerrigan said she didn't know Shishkova and Naumov well, but they were 'always welcoming and happy to see one another.' 'To think, to walk in here and not see that would be very strange for everybody that comes here,' she said. Kerrigan's one-time figure skating rival Tonya Harding also expressed condolences to the victims and their families. Zeghibe recalled the deadly 1961 plane crash that killed 18 U.S. figure skaters on their way to the world championships. 'Almost half of everyone aboard that plane were from [the Skating Club],' Zeghibe said. 'It had long-reaching implications for the Skating Club and for the sport in this country, because when you lose coaches like this, you lose the future of the sport, as well.'
