The tight-knit determine skating group was rocked Wednesday when an American Airways flight carrying athletes, mother and father and coaches from a improvement camp in Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.
Sixty passengers and 4 crew members on the flight, together with three troopers aboard the Blackhawk helicopter, are presumed useless. Amongst these killed had been younger skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their moms and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, all of them representing the distinguished Skating Membership of Boston.
The accident was an eerie reminder of the 1961 airplane crash that killed the U.S. delegation en path to the world championships in Prague. Lots of the prime skaters on that crew, together with sisters Laurie and Maribel Owen, had been from the Boston membership.
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“I’m in full shock. I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to say. Younger skaters, coaches, mother and father, so many brilliant lights in our group. My coronary heart goes out to the victims and their family members.” — two-time and reigning U.S. champion Amber Glenn.
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“I’m heartbroken by the tragic lack of my fellow skaters on this devastating accident. The determine skating group is a household, and this loss is past phrases. My ideas are with their households, buddies and everybody affected. We’ll always remember them.” — three-time U.S. and reigning world champion Ilia Malinin.
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“I had the chance to work with many of those children that had been onboard. Superb, sturdy, pushed, humorous, caring children. I can’t even course of this horror.” — former two-time U.S. pairs champion Ashley Cain-Gribble.
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“Skating is a really shut and tight-knit group. These children and their mother and father, they’re right here at our facility in Norwood, six, typically seven days per week. It’s an in depth, tight bond. It will have long-reaching impacts for our skating group.” — Doug Zeghibe, chief government officer on the Skating Membership of Boston.
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“We’re heartbroken to be taught that determine skaters, together with their households, buddies and coaches, are understood to be amongst these on board. Our ideas are with everybody affected by this tragedy.” — U.S. Determine Skating.
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“The Worldwide Skating Union and the worldwide skating group are deeply shocked by the tragic accident involving an American Airways flight in Washington, D.C. We’re heartbroken to be taught that determine skaters, together with their households, buddies, and coaches, are understood to be amongst these on board. We stay in shut contact with U.S. Determine Skating and provide our full assist throughout this extremely troublesome time.” — Worldwide Skating Union.
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“I simply need to ship an enormous hug to everybody and share some constructive feelings with them. Skating isn’t all the pieces in life. It’s a superb time to consider them proper now.” — Italian skater Nikolaj Memola on the European championships in Estonia.
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AP sports activities: https://apnews.com/sports activities
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