SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Olympic gold medalist figure skaters from the Bay Area expressed grief and sorrow after learning that several of the victims who died in an American Airlines jet crash were professional figure skaters.
Kristi Yamaguchi, who lives in the East Bay and is one of the greatest athletes of all time in the sport, said she is heartbroken by the tragedy.
“My heart breaks for my skating community and all who are involved in the plane crash. Too much is still unknown. Sending love and prayers,” Yamaguchi wrote on X Thursday morning.
All 64 people aboard the American Airlines jet are feared dead, said fire chief John Donnelly. The jet collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night above the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., officials said. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.
U.S. and Russian figure skaters, their coaches, and their family members were jet passengers, U.S. Figure Skating officials said. They were returning from a camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Two victims were identified as Russian figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The couple competed together as world champions in the 1990s, and their son, Maxim Naumov, is an elite figure skater for the United States. Maxim Naumov, 23, was not on the flight, according to People magazine.
The family was friends with Mountain View native and Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano.
“My heart breaks for my skating family today and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by this horrible tragedy. At a loss for words for my friends, Evgenia Shishkova (and) Vadim Naumov and their son Maxim,” Boitano wrote on X Thursday morning.
Maxim, who was coached by his parents, had competed at the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita this month, People reported.
Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said two young competitive skaters, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, and their mothers were also on the plane. Fourteen of the crash victims were coming back from the camp and U.S. Championships in Wichita, Zeghibe said.
“I had the opportunity to work with many of these kids that were onboard. Amazing, strong, driven, funny, caring kids. I can’t even process this horror,” U.S. pairs champion Ashley Cain-Gribble said.
The Army helicopter flew into the path of the jet while the plane was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, officials said. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River. “We don’t believe there are any survivors. We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly said.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Olympic gold medalist figure skaters from the Bay Area expressed grief and sorrow after learning that several of the victims who died in an American Airlines jet crash were professional figure skaters. Kristi Yamaguchi, who lives in the East Bay and is one of the greatest athletes of all time in […]
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