A tragic air collision occurred on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., when a plane carrying athletes, coaches, and family members from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships collided with a military helicopter near the Potomac River, close to Ronald Reagan National Airport. According to Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Boston Skating Club, 14 people aboard the plane were connected to the event, which took place in Wichita, Kansas, from January 20 to 26.
The flight, carrying 64 people, was struck by a military helicopter with three occupants, resulting in the death of everyone involved. Of the 14 victims linked to the figure skating community, six were from the Boston Skating Club, including two young skaters, their mothers, and two renowned coaches: Russian champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The Kremlin had already confirmed the presence of some Russian citizens aboard the plane.
Zeghibe expressed his sorrow at a press conference, acknowledging that while the loss of six people is devastating, it could have been worse. The Boston Skating Club, which had sent 18 people to Wichita for the championships, is facing another heartbreaking tragedy, as this is not the first aviation disaster to affect the organization. In 1961, the club lost several members in another crash while traveling to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague.
Local authorities confirmed there were no survivors, stating that all occupants of both the plane and the helicopter perished in the crash. The accident has deeply affected the global figure skating community, with public figures and athletes, including Russians such as Inna Voliánskaya and Maxim Naúmov, confirming their presence on the plane.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent condolences to the victims’ families, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov expressed sorrow over the tragic loss, though no plans for high-level contact between the Russian and U.S. presidents are currently expected.
