A plane crashed in Washington this past Wednesday night carrying American and Russian figure skaters, including the famous world champion duo, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title in 1994.
According to authorities, the American Airlines regional plane that was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in the air with a military helicopter as it was approaching Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. and, so far, there are no survivors.
Who were the figure skaters on board the crashed plane in Washington?
Shishkova, 52, and Naumov, 55, competed in six World Championships between 1991 and 1996, winning gold, silver, and bronze medals. The highlight of their career was winning the pairs title at the 1994 World Championship in Chiba, Japan.
Upon retiring, they began to focus on teaching skating, after having moved to the United States. Local media reported in 1998 that they had settled in the state of Connecticut.
Several members of the United States figure skating community were also among the passengers, as confirmed by the national governing body of the sport. They were returning from a training camp for young talents that took place after the U.S. championship, held last weekend in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are devastated by this indescribable tragedy and have the families of the victims in our hearts,” said the United States Figure Skating Federation in a statement. “Figure skating is more than a sport, it is a united family and we are together in this,” added the International Skating Union (ISU).
U.S. Figure Skating has not revealed details about the identity of the skaters, coaches, and family members on board the plane. However, the CEO of the Boston Skating Club, Doug Zeghibe, said that 14 skaters were on the crashed plane. "It is a terrible loss for our skating community," Zeghibe told the press in Norwood, Massachusetts.
According to the CEO, at least six victims were from the Boston club: two coaches, two skaters, and two mothers of the athletes.