The American figure skating community continues to reel after the tragic American Airlines crash in Washington DC – with multiple skaters, their parents, and their coaches on board the flight.
Of the 60 passengers on board American Airlines flight 5342, 14 of them were figure skaters – including six members of The Skating Club of Boston who were returning from a National Development Camp in Wichita.
NBC broadcasters and former figure skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski were both broadcasting the 2025 European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia on Thursday when they addressed the incident.
A choked up Weir began the broadcast: ‘As we come on air for the European Figure Skating Championships, we are all hurting today. We were absolutely heartbroken by the news that several members of our skating community were among those lost in the tragic plane crash in Washington, DC last night.’
Weir then proceeded to read statements from US Figure Skating, the International Skating Union, and a word from International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
Lipinski then spoke through sobs, calling the situation ‘unimaginable.’
NBC broadcasters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir both broke down on air as they read tributes to the DC plane crash victims while covering the European Figure Skating Championships
A recovery team tows wreckage of American Airlines flight 5342 from the Potomac River
“My heart is completely broken for our skating community, their families and loved ones. My heart is with all the families affected and that’s the part I have no words for. It will not do it justice,” she said, adding that the “skating community will never be the same,” but the victims will always be remembered.
Weir added that they were determined ‘to make sure that everyone’s spirit lives on’ and that it was ‘a tremendous loss that our community feels.’
He added, ‘Today, my whole heart is with everybody affected by this terrible tragedy. We are so devastated for your loss.’
At the Championships, a long moment of silence was held in memory of those who lost their lives.
Doug Zeghibe, the CEO of The Skating Club of Boston, confirmed the names of those members of the club who were on board.
Two teenagers, Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, their mothers, Christine Lane and Jin Han, and their coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were identified.
Shiskova and Naumov were both accomplished Russian skaters who had won multiple medals in pairs skating in the 1990s.
That included gold at the 1995 World Championships in Chiba, Japan, and gold at the Grand Prix of Skating held in Paris for the 1995-96 season.
American skating hero Nancy Kerrigan broke down in tears at a press conference in Boston
Figure skater, Spencer Lane, 16, (middle back) alongside Russian couple Evgenia Shishkova, (middle front) 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, (right) have been confirmed as passengers
Other prominent members of the American figure skating community voiced their condolences and grief as well.
Former Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, a Massachusetts native, broke down in tears and said she stayed up all night watching the news after hearing of those on the flight.
Kerrigan’s on-ice rival, Tonya Harding, also spoke about the incident and said that she was ‘devastated’.
Professional sports teams in the DC area – the Washington Commanders, Wizards, Nationals, and DC United – all posted condolences on their social media pages.
The same was done by Boston professional sports teams – the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and Boston Red Sox – as well as multiple National Hockey League teams.
An investigation into the crash is underway. President Donald Trump addressed the incident multiple times in various press events on Thursday.
