U.S. and Russian figure skaters and coaches were on the doomed Kansas plane that crashed in the Potomac River, and some of the names have been released.
That’s according to USA Today, which quoted U.S. Figure Skating as saying, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.” And it’s according to Ilia Malinin, the men’s national champion, who was not on the aircraft.
He 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. My thoughts are with their families, friends and everyone affected. We will never forget them.”
According to USA Today, authorities do not expect to find any survivors. CBS News confirmed that “top figure skaters from the United States and Russia” were on board the plane. Some names and photos are released.
Figure Skaters From Boston Named Spencer Lane & Jinna Han Were on the Plane, Reports Say
According to CBS News, the Skating Club of Boston “lost two coaches, two young skaters and their mothers” in the plane crash.
Club CEO Doug Zeghibe “identified the skaters as 16-year-olds Spencer Lane and Jinna Han. Lane’s mother Christine Lane and Han’s mother Jin Han were also on the plane. The coaches were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova,” reported CBS News.
Getty and Instagram (Spencer Lane)Spencer Lane
“Six is a horrific number for us. But we’re fortunate and grateful it wasn’t more than six. This will have long, reaching impacts for our skating community,” Zeghibe said, according to CBS.
He added that Lane was “rocketing to the top of the sport.” Lane posted about his 2024 successes on his Instagram page, where he also posted a picture of the doomed plane’s wing just hours before the crash.
According to CBS News, the figure skaters on the plane “had attended a prestigious training camp for novice and intermediate skaters in Wichita, Kansas” and were returning to Washington D.C. when the plane crashed.
“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,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement to CBS News.
In August, Han wrote on Instagram, “I am so amazingly grateful to have had the chance to compete and attend at the my first international and champs camp! It was such an amazing experience and made so many new friends❤️”
Vadim Naumov & Evgenia Shishkova Were Former Russian Figure Skaters, Reports Say
GettyEvgenia Shiskova and Vadim Naumov
A spokesman for the Kremlin also told the publication that “Russian figure skaters and other Russian nationals were aboard the plane” that was landing from Wichita, Kansas, when it collided with a military helicopter, sparking a massive rescue efforts in the cold waters of the Potomac on January 29.
TASS gave names of some victims, writing, “Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the crashed plane.”
According to DailyMail, Shishkova, 53, and Naumov, 56, were married. They had been “attending the US Figure Skating Championships in Kansas,” Daily Mail said. Their son Maxim Naumov is on Team USA but was not on the plane, Daily Mail reported.
“We are proud of you, son,” the couple told their son before the crash, according to Daily Mail.
According to DailyMail.com, another figure skater named Jon Maravilla was spared because his dog was too big to fit on the plane so he took a car home instead.
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