Media reports: Russian skating stars were on the American plane that crashed
Young Russian figure skaters and their coaches were reportedly on the fateful flight returning from a championship in Kansas. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Juvenile athletes and coaches were reportedly returning from a championship in Kansas when the flight met with tragedy.
Several prominent figure skaters and coaches were aboard a passenger plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, DC, following a mid-air collision with a military helicopter. Among the victims were reportedly Russian world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Flight 5342, which was transporting 60 passengers and four crewmembers from Wichita, Kansas, to the nation's capital, collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Reports indicate that there were no survivors.
The passengers included athletes, coaches, and family members affiliated with the National Development Team, a program designed for elite juvenile figure skaters, as highlighted by The Wichita Eagle and confirmed by US Figure Skating.
The national championships for figure skating took place in the city the previous week, attracting some top young athletes for advanced training sessions, according to various reports.
Media sources indicate that some of the skaters had ties to Russia. Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married couple who won the 1994 world championship in the pair event, were among those on the flight, as stated by TASS. Inna Volyanskaya, a medalist in several Soviet and international skating competitions alongside her partner and husband Valery Spiridonov, was also reportedly on board.
Some reports suggest that many of the young athletes were part of the Russian-American figure skating community.
There had been concerns that American skater Ilia Malinin, whose family emigrated to the US from the USSR, might be among the casualties, but he later confirmed that he was not involved. Following the tragedy, notable athletes including Malinin, Luke Wang, and Ethan Peal have expressed their shock and condolences.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Several prominent figure skaters and coaches were aboard a passenger plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, DC, following a mid-air collision with a military helicopter. Among the victims were reportedly Russian world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Flight 5342, which was transporting 60 passengers and four crewmembers from Wichita, Kansas, to the nation's capital, collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Reports indicate that there were no survivors.
The passengers included athletes, coaches, and family members affiliated with the National Development Team, a program designed for elite juvenile figure skaters, as highlighted by The Wichita Eagle and confirmed by US Figure Skating.
The national championships for figure skating took place in the city the previous week, attracting some top young athletes for advanced training sessions, according to various reports.
Media sources indicate that some of the skaters had ties to Russia. Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married couple who won the 1994 world championship in the pair event, were among those on the flight, as stated by TASS. Inna Volyanskaya, a medalist in several Soviet and international skating competitions alongside her partner and husband Valery Spiridonov, was also reportedly on board.
Some reports suggest that many of the young athletes were part of the Russian-American figure skating community.
There had been concerns that American skater Ilia Malinin, whose family emigrated to the US from the USSR, might be among the casualties, but he later confirmed that he was not involved. Following the tragedy, notable athletes including Malinin, Luke Wang, and Ethan Peal have expressed their shock and condolences.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
