(L-R) Tara Lipinski, Scott Hamilton, Meryl Davis.Photo:JB Lacroix/WireImage; Scott Hamilton/Instagram; Kevin Mazur/Getty
JB Lacroix/WireImage; Scott Hamilton/Instagram; Kevin Mazur/Getty
The figure skating community is mourning an unimaginable tragedy following adevastating plane crashthat claimed the lives of multiple athletes, coaches and officials, prompting tributes from legendary OlympiansTara Lipinski,Meryl DavisandScott Hamilton.
Fourteen U.S. figure skaterswere aboard American Airlines flight 5342 when it collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, according to the airline. Officials have confirmed there are no survivors.
“It’s unimaginable the loss. We will mourn their loss and ALWAYS remember them," Lipinski, 42,wrote on her Instagram Storyon Jan. 30. “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.”
Tara Lipinski Instagram Story.Tara Lipinski/Instagram
Tara Lipinski/Instagram
“The US Championships are always the most magical time of the year for our community. We come together to celebrate hard work, passion, and dedication. We come together for the love of the sport and the way that it uniquely bonds us as a skating family. From the youngest to the most seasoned, those on the ice and in the stands, there’s a connectivity at Nationals that has to be felt to be understood,” she wrote.
“My heart is shattered thinking of those sweet young souls whose lives were cut to cruelly short, still buzzing from the magic of development camp in Wichita and full of hopes and dreams for the future. Proud parents who have sacrificed so much, tired and eager to get home. The coaches who have dedicated their lives to guiding and nurturing young athletes. And for those waiting at home with a warm hug, excited to hear all about it,” Davis, 38, continued. “An unspeakable loss for our skating family and beyond.”
Among those lost were 1994 world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, as well as six members of The Skating Club of Boston, including two teenage skaters and their mothers.
The U.S. Figure Skating team told PEOPLE in a statement on Thursday, “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.”
Emergency responders in the Potomac River following the crash in Washington, D.C.Andrew Harnik/Getty
Andrew Harnik/Getty
“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,” the statement added.
The 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships had been held in the city from Jan. 20 until Jan. 26, the U.S. Figure Skatingwebsitestated.
source: people.com
