Aircraft accident in Washington: figure skating stars among the victims!

Aircraft accident in Washington: figure skating stars among the victims!

Washington, D.C., USA - On January 30, 2025, a tragic plane crash occurred in Washington, i.e. a passenger machine with 64 people on board collided with a military helicopter and crashed in the Potomac River. Among the passengers were probably the former figure skating world champions Jewgenija Schischkowa (52) and Wadim Naumow (55), who won gold in 1994 in the couple at the World Championships, like Gala . There are also reports that her son Maxim Naumow (23), also figure skaters, may also have been on board, but this was unconfirmed.

The exact number of victims is still unclear, but it is assumed that there are no survivors. The occupants of the flight were on the way back from a training camp as part of the US championships. The helicopter was on the road during a practice flight when it came to the collision. Defense Minister Pete Hegseth described the action as "extremely tragic" and praised the ongoing search and rescue measures.

grief for the figure skating community

The incident has moved the figure skating community in grief. The US ice skating association commented on and said: "We are shaken about this unspeakable tragedy and close the families of the victims into our heart." The World Association ISU also offered support and emphasized in a statement that figure skating is more than just a sport, but a close family that is together in this difficult time. Eurosport Members of the US team were among the passengers.

The former couple runner Inna Volianskaja, winner of the Nebelhorn Trophy in 1982, was also on board the regional plane. Local media report several victims from the US team, which has reinforced the shock wave through the figure skating community.

The figure skating in the focus of history

The figure skating has a rich history that goes back to 1742 when the first ice skating club in Edinburgh, Scotland was founded. Driven by pioneers like Jackson Haines, who is considered the founder of the modern figure skating, this sport experienced many ups and downs over the centuries. The development of figure skating also includes important personalities such as Ulrich Salchow, who was a dominant figure in the early 1900s. The sport experienced an upswing after the Second World War and established itself as a popular discipline that produced talents like Katarina Witt, which became Olympic champion in 1984

The tragic plane crash now throws a shadow on the glorious history of the figure skating and leaves the community in deep grief. wikipedia illuminates the development of sport and the challenges that athletes have to face in their career also shows how strongly this community is welded together.