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Former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who are also husband and wife, are among many figure skaters reported to have been on board a fatal American Airlines flight.
World champion Russian figure-skating duo Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are among at least 13 figure skaters feared dead after an American Airlines plane crashed.
The passenger plane, carrying 64 passengers and crew, collided with a US Army helicopter and crashed into a river in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. Authorities said on Thursday that they had recovered 28 bodies from the water, and do not believe there are any survivors.
Shishkova and Naumov won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994, with a routine set to Johann Strauss II’s Overture to the opera Die Fledermaus.
The champion duo, who got married to each other in 1995, were based in the US where they trained young ice skaters. According to Russian news agency Tass, who confirmed the husband and wife were on board the American Airlines flight, they had been travelling back from a competition with a group of young skaters.
Legendary former pair skater Inna Volyanskaya, who competed for the Soviet Union, was also named as one of the passengers on the flight.
“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends, and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” read a statement from the International Skating Union. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport – it’s a close-knit family – and we stand together.”
US Figure Skating, the American governing organisation for the sport, confirmed that the athletes, coaches and family members on board were returning from a camp for the US figure skating championships in Kansas.
They said in a statement: “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”
All the skaters’ identities have yet to be confirmed, but American figure skater Luke Wang confirmed on social media that several skaters were on board the plane. “We pray for everyone who was on the flight from Wichita to DC. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches,” he added. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”
Ilia Malinin, the reigning world and national champion in men’s figure skating, was not aboard the plane that crashed. He paid tribute to those lost in the fatal collision, writing 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. My thoughts are with their families, friends and everyone affected. We will never forget them.”