{"id":147124,"date":"2025-01-30T20:08:17","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T20:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/30\/elite-teenage-figure-skaters-and-former-world-champion-coaches-were-among-d-c-plane-crash-victims\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T20:08:17","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T20:08:17","slug":"elite-teenage-figure-skaters-and-former-world-champion-coaches-were-among-d-c-plane-crash-victims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/30\/elite-teenage-figure-skaters-and-former-world-champion-coaches-were-among-d-c-plane-crash-victims\/","title":{"rendered":"Elite Teenage Figure Skaters and Former World Champion Coaches Were Among D.C. Plane Crash Victims"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"has-dropcap\">The commercial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/dc-plane-crash-is-a-true-test-of-donald-trumps-leadership-hes-off-to-a-bad-start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter<\/a> in the air near the Washington, D.C. area\u2019s Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening carried gymnasts, personnel, and family members associated with the U.S. Figure Skating Association, the group confirmed Thursday. Government officials have said that they believe there are 67 fatalities in the crash, with no survivors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Doug Zeghibe<\/strong>, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston, confirmed via a <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFdBvUtvJMu\/?hl=en&amp;img_index=2\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFdBvUtvJMu\/?hl=en&amp;img_index=2&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFdBvUtvJMu\/?hl=en&amp;img_index=2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">statement posted to the club\u2019s social media<\/a> that six people associated with his club were onboard the flight, which departed from Wichita, Kansas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cWe are devastated and completely at a loss for words,\u201d the statement reads in part. \u201cThese athletes, coaches, and parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating\u2019s National Development Camp, following last week\u2019s U.S. Championships in Wichita.\u201d The club sent 12 athletes to the camp, which it described as a training ground for \u201cyoung competitive skaters of tomorrow with the most promise to be a champion of tomorrow.\u201d Not all of the club\u2019s athletes were on the doomed flight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">The club named 13-year-old athlete Jinna Han and her mother Jin Han; 16-year-old athlete Spencer Lane and his mother Christine Lane; and two coaches, a married couple, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova as being on the flight. Lane posted an Instagram Story shortly before takeoff of his view out the plane\u2019s window.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Shishkova and Naumov won the world championship in pairs figure skating for Russia in 1994. Their son, <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maxim.naumov_\/\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maxim.naumov_\/&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maxim.naumov_\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Maxim Naumov<\/strong><\/a>, 23, is a member of Team USA and competed in the championships, placing fourth. He reportedly returned home ahead of his parents on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cOnce again, Maxim made us all proud, getting on to the podium at Nationals after 7th place in the short,\u201d the caption on the <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFWmrrnxeRZ\/\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFWmrrnxeRZ\/&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFWmrrnxeRZ\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">final post from the couple\u2019s joint Instagram account<\/a>, shared Wednesday, read in part. \u201cThis beautiful and emotional performance is a result of a team work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">In a <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFdQzTsPHo5\/\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFdQzTsPHo5\/&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DFdQzTsPHo5\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">social media post Thursday<\/a>, U.S. Figure Skating called the incident an \u201cunspeakable tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">The <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.usfigureskating.org\/event\/2025-prevagen-us-figure-skating-championships\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.usfigureskating.org\/event\/2025-prevagen-us-figure-skating-championships&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usfigureskating.org\/event\/2025-prevagen-us-figure-skating-championships\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">championship tournament<\/a>, which was held from January 20-26, is the final qualifier for the U.S. World and World Junior Championship teams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">According to U.S. Figure Skating\u2019s website, the development camp is a three-day program for \u201ctop-performing juvenile, intermediate, and novice athletes at the U.S. Sectional Finals,\u201d those on track to be part of Team USA. Camp attendees may also be invited to participate in other elite competitions and programs based on their camp performance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\"><strong>Douglas Lane<\/strong>, the father of Spencer Lane, <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.wpri.com\/news\/local-news\/rhode-island-teen-was-on-plane-that-collided-with-military-helicopter\/\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.wpri.com\/news\/local-news\/rhode-island-teen-was-on-plane-that-collided-with-military-helicopter\/&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wpri.com\/news\/local-news\/rhode-island-teen-was-on-plane-that-collided-with-military-helicopter\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">spoke to WPRI news in Rhode Island<\/a> and called his late son \u201ca force of nature\u201d who was \u201cjust loved by everyone.\u201d Zeghibe, his club\u2019s CEO, said Spencer was \u201crocketing to the top of the sport.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Spencer\u2019s grandparents told <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2025\/01\/30\/dc-plane-crash-updates-helicopter-potomac-reagan-airport\/#link-3KMQCRVXQVC5DMCKFXJCLTOIUA\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2025\/01\/30\/dc-plane-crash-updates-helicopter-potomac-reagan-airport\/#link-3KMQCRVXQVC5DMCKFXJCLTOIUA&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2025\/01\/30\/dc-plane-crash-updates-helicopter-potomac-reagan-airport\/#link-3KMQCRVXQVC5DMCKFXJCLTOIUA\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Washington <em>Post<\/em><\/a> that the boy had found skating through YouTube. \u201cAthletes twirling, leaping, and gliding across smooth ice. He was hooked. He practiced four days a week,\u201d they said. \u201cHe was working hard to pull off a triple axel. His eyes were set on the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\"><strong>Nancy Kerrigan<\/strong>, who also competed and took home a silver medal in the 1994 Olympics, said in an impromptu press conference at the Skating Club of Boston\u2019s rink in Norwood, Massachusetts\u2014she is an alum\u2014that though she didn\u2019t interact with the Russian couple at the &#8217;94 Games, they had crossed paths at the club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cEverything you\u2019ve heard of them maybe being a little tough but with a smile on their face\u201d was true, she said. \u201c[They were] always welcoming and we were happy to see one another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cI\u2019ve never seen anyone love skating as much as these two and that\u2019s why it hurt so much,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Zeghibe, standing beside her, said the pair were \u201cincredibly kind, they were so kind, but they had high standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><picture class=\"ResponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptionText-bHjzlu iUEiRd jSwmTa iXWezO caption__text\">Doug Zeghibe, CEO and Executive Director, pauses after speaking with the media at The Skating Club of Boston.<\/span><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptionCredit-ejegDm iUEiRd cvffOM fNaHcW caption__credit\">Boston Globe\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/figure-skaters-world-champion-coaches-dc-plane-crash-victims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The commercial American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter in the air near the Washington, D.C. area\u2019s Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening carried gymnasts, personnel, and family members associated with the U.S. Figure Skating Association, the group confirmed Thursday. Government officials have said that they believe there are 67 fatalities in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":147125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[10551,10553,20,10552,8531,10463],"class_list":{"0":"post-147124","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrity","8":"tag-aviation","9":"tag-d-c","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-plane-crashes","12":"tag-vanities","13":"tag-washington"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}