U.S. Figure Skating confirms that athletes, coaches, and family members were on American Airlines Flight 5342 that crashed in D.C.

[Frau Muller]

Evgenia Shishtova’s sister, Sheshgina, was a sister of the 1991 bailen.

 

[Simone411]

Article on Daily Mail- at the bottom there's a video of an interview (in Russian w/English captions) of Shishkova/Naumov's former coach:

US figure skating team member's haunting post from plane

Spencer Lane, 26, shared the haunting snap from inside the doomed jet as it prepared to take off.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Thank you for sharing this. I'm just devastated at the moment. It was a treat to watch Shishkova & Naumov skate. I felt privileged to see them, and they will be missed.

It just seems unreal to me. My thoughts and prayers for all the families that lost someone on that plane.

 

[Karen-W]

Ilia's IG story -

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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.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

It was a training flight. I assume they screwed up.

It seems like the terms "training flight" are creating kind of a misunderstanding. It doesn't seem like it was a "training flight" as in inexperienced crew. More like a required recertification.

• Black Hawk was on training flight: Hegseth said “it was a fairly experienced crew that was doing an annual required night evaluation,” and “they did have night vision goggles.” An investigation will seek to determine whether the helicopter was in the proper corridor and at the right altitude at the time of the incident, he noted.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/plane-crash-dca-potomac-washington-dc-01-29-25#cm6jfxufg00003b6mqrv57zrj

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Alexa has an Instagram story photo up I believe that when she worked with the coaches, possibly

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[Kruss]

Truly heartbreaking. My heart and prayers go out to all involved.

 

[KCC]

 

[shutterbug]

Devastating tragedy for the skating community. Huge hugs and heartfelt condolences to all affected.

 

[Frau Muller]

Evgenia Shishtova’s sister, Victoria, was a sister of the 1991 bailen.

 

[PRlady]

Moved to PI

 

[kittyjake5]

Terrible tragedy. My condolences to the families, skating community and friends of the victims

 

[cailuj365]

Just devastating. I'm just so sad for all the skaters and the skating community and how this unfolded. I hope everyone affected by this receives the support they need.

 

[Sk8fun]

I usually don't post I just lurk. Today I am shook to the core over this great loss and had to write. I was at Nationals and was just two sections away from where all of the developmental camp kids were sitting. I saw them all week having so much fun making new friends, wearing their new red coats from US Figure Skating, cheering on the skaters, and having an overall good time. To think that many of them are now gone is such a tragedy. My heart goes out to their families and friends.

 

[sk8pics]

I am just more and more sad about this. Seeing the names in print brings it home in a different way.

It was a training flight. I assume they screwed up.

Hopefully they will investigate without making assumptions about who made what error, so that they can put the proper procedures in place to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

 

[skatfan]

It was a training flight. I assume they screwed up.

I’m hearing that it was a recertification flight and these were all experienced pilots, so yeah, something got screwed up.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

I’m hearing that it was a recertification flight and these were all experienced pilots, so yeah, something got screwed up.

I posted a link with this including sources.

 

[Sarah]

I am so sad about all of this. So tragic.

 

[Sylvia]

Posted by Brian Boitano on X (he also posted the same message as an Instagram story):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1885010042623320272

 

[Sylvia]

I just noticed that WCVB 5 corrected Jinna Han's age from 15 to 13 (edit made by me below) at the end of their video report from the SC of Boston that's embedded here: https://www.wcvb.com/article/coache...norwood-massachusetts-on-plane-crash/63617299

ETA - the WCVB article has been updated (more than once):

Skater Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother, Christine, skater Jinna Han, 15 13, and her mother, Jin, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were aboard the plane.

"Skating is a very close and tight-knit community. These kids and their parents — they are here at our skating facility in Norwood six, sometimes seven days a week. It is a close, tight bond, and I think for all of us, we have lost family," Zeghibe said.

Zeghibe said Spencer was a "highly-talented kid" who was "rocketing to the top of the sport," and Jinna was a "wonderful kid, great athlete, great competitor" who was loved by all. Zeghibe said their mothers were "role-model parents" who were dedicated to their children's sport.

Spencer Lane's mother's actual first name, Christine, also was confirmed to me on X along with this message: "I worked with her the kindest person you can imagine It’s so sad and heartbreaking she leaves behind her husband and younger son."

 

[Debbie S]

Has it been confirmed that Sasha Kirsanov was on the flight?

 

[Sylvia]

Has it been confirmed that Sasha Kirsanov was on the flight?

Yes, by his wife in this ABC News article: https://abcnews.go.com/US/devastate...oard-flight-collided-black/story?id=118257532

Natalya Gudin, the wife of Alexandr Kirsanov, a coach of two youth ice skaters on board the flight, said she has "lost everything." Gudin, also an ice skating coach, decided to stay home in Delaware while Kirsanov flew to Kansas for the development camp. She says she spoke with her husband as he boarded the flight on Wednesday.
"I lost my husband, I lost my students, I lost my friends," Gudin told ABC News. "I need my husband back. I need his body back."

 

[bardtoob]

Cold shivers ran down my spine reading the first post of this thread.

This is devastating, and surely will churn up sadness already in the skating community's collective memory.

 

[doubleturn]

The TVs in the work cafeteria are tuned to MSNBC. Usually shows the mid-day stock reports but now covering the tragic events. The banner at the bottom of the screen alternates between 67 persons presumed dead and 28 bodies recovered so far.

 

[Kruss]

Nancy Kerrigan spoke at a press conference from the Skate Club of Boston (I believe) with others including Doug Zeghibe
They're all, understandably, just devastated.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the OTBT thread - "Chris Jansing Reports" show now is showing recorded parts of the interview at SCoB:

MSNBC is interviewing Nancy and Tenley [and Albright's daughter, Elin Schran].

 

[Karen-W]

Team USA statement from Sarah Hirshland, USOPC CEO -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1885025866821873717

 

[Kruss]

Re-posting from the OTBT thread - "Chris Jansing Reports" show now:

Thank you. I thought that was Tenley Albright, but took her name out of my post because I wasn't 100% sure.

 

[Debbie S]

Meryl Davis IG story: https://www.instagram.com/stories/m...ig_story_item_share&igsh=MWtibzk2YzM4c2o0cQ==

Media everywhere are circling. Local news station came to my club's home rink this morning and interviewed a coach and adult skater (who attended Nats) on the rink's morning FS session. Local print reporter called our club president, who referred her to the coach for comments.

Being in comms/PR myself, I get why they do this, but it feels uncomfortable. None of the skaters and coaches on the plane had any connection to our club, other than competing at our club's comp. If local media wants a story, interview those directly affected. Wash FSC is right down the road.

 

[Sylvia]

Press conference with the CEO of SCOB - this is all just so heartbreaking.

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At ~4:20, Doug Zeghibe mentions that he believes Max Naumov is en route to Washington, D.C. along with the dads of Spencer Lane and Jinna Han.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Meryl Davis IG story: https://www.instagram.com/stories/m...ig_story_item_share&igsh=MWtibzk2YzM4c2o0cQ==

Meryl is very eloquent.

Media everywhere are circling. Local news station came to my club's home rink this morning and interviewed a coach and adult skater (who attended Nats) on the rink's morning FS session. Local print reporter called our club president, who referred her to the coach for comments.

Being in comms/PR myself, I get why they do this, but it feels uncomfortable. None of the skaters and coaches on the plane had any connection to our club, other than competing at our club's comp. If local media wants a story, interview those directly affected. Wash FSC is right down the road.

I suppose in some ways it's better than them bothering the people directly affected. It's a weird thing to do, but maybe if it gets them to leave people who are grieving alone, there's some value to it.