Before the tragedy, the Russian figure skating world champions, who were aboard the tragic American Airlines flight, expressed their pride in their son.
Evgenia Shishkova (53) and Vadim Naumov (56), a couple of former figure skaters, were returning to Washington on Flight 5342 from Kansas, where they had competed in the National Figure Skating Championships.
They were not traveling with their 23-year-old son, Maksim Naumov, a well-known figure skater who represents the United States. According to a teammate, Maksim had left Wichita on Monday.
A few days before the tragedy, Maksim had finished fourth in the competition, and his parents told him they were proud of him, according to a Russian article.
„We are proud of you, Maksim,” his parents wrote in a social media post, shared by Russia’s oldest newspaper, „Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti.”
After finishing eighth in the short program, Maksim secured a spot on the podium.
His performance was described as „the result of teamwork” and „an emotional and beautiful performance.” He earned a spot on the winning Four Continents team.
Vadim Naumov (right) and his wife, Evgenia Shishkova (not visible in the photo), told their son, Maksim (left) that they were proud of him before boarding the plane.
Russian figure skaters, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board the American Airlines flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington.
Surveillance footage captured the moment of the collision between the plane and the helicopter.
According to the U.S. Figure Skating Federation, numerous skaters, coaches, and their families were on board, returning from the National Development Camp, held in conjunction with the national championships.
„We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and are devastated by this unthinkable tragedy,” the federation wrote in a statement.
„We will monitor the situation and provide further information as it becomes available.”
„I don’t want to name names, but there were approximately 14 skaters on board, not counting their parents and some coaches,” said American figure skater John Maravilla, quoted by RIA Novosti.
According to authorities, the passenger plane and the military helicopter collided mid-air Wednesday evening while approaching Reagan National Airport, then crashed into the Potomac River.
American Airlines confirmed that there were four crew members and sixty passengers on board.
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, born in Leningrad, represented the USSR and Russia in ice dancing, winning the world title in 1994.
In 1998, they moved to the United States to work as coaches.
The couple was reportedly traveling with a group of young skaters after the competition.
Their son, 23-year-old Maksim Naumov, representing the United States, was not on board, despite competing in the championships in Kansas.
His parents—who were also his coaches—are pictured in the photos after the competition in which he finished fourth.
Maksim followed in his parents’ footsteps by becoming a figure skater (pictured in February last year, during a competition in Shanghai, China).
Maksim reportedly left Kansas on Monday with another skater, Anton Spiridonov.
„I wasn’t on that flight. I know there were people I knew,” Spiridonov said.
„Maksim Naumov left Wichita on Monday. We were at the airport together; we went through security at the same time.”
But according to Spiridonov, Maksim’s parents were on board the tragic flight.
Figure skating fans are paying tribute to Maksim and his parents on social media today.
„I want to thank my parents and my sister, who opened the doors of figure skating to me,” Maksim, whose parents were also his coaches, once said.
„We are devastated by the news that skaters, their families, friends, and coaches may have been on board,” the International Skating Federation (ISU) said in a statement.
„Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport: we are one big family.”
Shishkova and Naumov won the world ice dance title in 1994.
According to reports, up to 15 passengers on the plane may have been involved in figure skating.
The Russian news agency Mash published a list of 13 skaters, many of whom were children of Russian immigrants to the United States, who were said to be on board.
TASS reports that Inna Volyanskaya, a former pat
A figure skater who represented the USSR was also on board. She is listed as a coach on the Washington skating club’s website.
Olga Yermolina, spokeswoman for the Russian figure skating federation, told Zvezda TV that there were no active Russian skaters aboard Flight 5342.
„We have to wait for the official lists,” Yermolina said.
„The people who currently hold American citizenship have previously represented or coached for the USSR or Russia, and they also hold other passports.”
The helicopter is reportedly upside down and unstable, while the plane has broken into two pieces and lies at a depth of about two meters.
Images from the scene of the tragedy show rescuers in boats surrounding the body fragments and the wing protruding from the water.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its approach to Runway 33.
According to defense sources, the Black Hawk was a military helicopter carrying three soldiers in training.