The international figure skating community was in shock Thursday as more details emerged about the tragic plane crash near Washington, D.C. that authorities fear has no survivors.
The exact number of victims with figure skating ties is still unknown, but the entire sport was already grieving a loss that had echoes to the 1961 plane crash that killed the U.S. figure skating team as it traveled from New York to Brussels, Belgium for the world championships.
U.S. Figure Skating said the skaters on Wednesday’s flight were returning from a national development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this past weekend in Wichita, Kansas.
Doug Zeghibe, the chief executive for the Skating Club of Boston, said in a briefing Thursday that ‘to the best of our knowledge,’ 14 skaters returning from the development camp in Wichita were involved in the crash, including two coaches and two teenage skaters from his club and their moms.
The devastating toll this flight took on the figure skating community became more evident as reactions from the sport’s biggest names began to trickle out on social media. Former Olympic silver medalist Ashley Wagner, former Olympic gold medalist and NBC figure skating analyst Tara Lipinski and her NBC partner and former figure skater Johnny Weir were among those to post their thoughts and prayers on Instagram.
Wagner posted a message on her Instagram Story that read: “My heart breaks for my skating family today. I can’t put into words what this feeling is – I’m horrified, heartbroken, devastated and shocked. It makes you realize that ‘my heart goes out to’ and ‘condolences to the families’ simply are not enough.”
Lipinski shared a screenshot of a news article by People with a message on her Instagram Story: ‘It’s unimaginable the loss. We will mourn their loss and ALWAYS remember them. My heart is with all the families affected- that part I have no words for. “Strength” and “love” won’t do it justice. So many of our own were on this tragic flight and my heart aches, for them and for everyone part of this devastating accident.”
Johnny Weir also posted his reaction on Instagram Story. Included with a screenshot of a BBC news article was the following message: “I’m praying for everyone affected by this tragic accident. Members of our skating family were on that flight returning home from Nationals in Wichita. We mourn their loss and pray for their families & loved ones.”
Wednesday’s crash also prompted a response from former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. She was left stunned just like everyone else affiliated with the sport.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said in a statement offering condolences that some on board the flight may have been Olympians. Reigning world and national champion men’s figure skater Ilia Malinin wrote on Instagram: ‘I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident. The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words.’
‘I’ve never seen someone love skating as much as these two, and that’s why I think it hurts so much,’ Kerrigan said of Lane and Hahn. ‘… When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it’s even a bigger blow.’
Zeghibe said Spencer Lane and Jinna Hahn were the teenage figure skaters from the Skating Club of Boston involved in the crash. Lane’s mother, Molly Lane, and Hahn’s mother, Jin Hahn, were also on the flight. The coaches were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, former Russian world champion figure skaters who were married.
‘This will have long-reaching impacts for our skating community,’ Zeghibe told reporters.