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Tag: skater

American ice skater Anton Spiridonov ‘was not on’ the plane that collided with an Army helicopter

U.S. ice skater Anton Spiridonov refuted claims suggesting he was on board the commercial jet that collided in midair with an Army helicopter Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“Russian news outlets have included me on a list of presumed people on the flight from Wichita to Washington D.C.,” the skater shared on Instagram.

“I was NOT on this flight, thank you for everyone’s concern for my safety. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this tragedy.”

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Anton Spiridonov bows after skating in the championship free dance competition during the U.S. figure skating championships at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Jan. 28, 2023. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)

Spiridonov won the silver medal at the World University Games in 2023. He also finished sixth at the U.S. Championships that same year. Spiridonov also paid tribute to his father’s former “skating partner,” Inna Volyanskaya.

“Dads skating partner,” he wrote on a post to his Instagram story. “Rest in peace, Inna.”

LIVE UPDATES: AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE, ARMY HELICOPTER COLLIDE OUTSIDE REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT NEAR WASHINGTON DC

Flight 5342 carried 60 passengers and four crew members, according to a statement from American Airlines. The flight took off from an airport in Wichita, Kansas.

Authorities confirmed there were three U.S. service members aboard the Army Black Hawk helicopter when the aircraft departed Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. The airfield is located about 15 miles southwest of Reagan Washington National.

Emergency units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, Va., Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

The passenger jet and the military helicopter both crashed into the Potomac River as the commercial plane was approaching one of the airport runways. In a news conference Thursday morning, officials confirmed that 27 bodies from the plane and one from the Black Hawk helicopter had been pulled from the frigid waters.

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U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that “several members of our skating community” were aboard the flight. The organization said they were returning home from a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded Sunday.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding calls loss in airline collision ‘absolutely devastating’

Two-time U.S. Olympian Tonya Harding joined many others in the figure skating community to speak out after it was revealed that several members of U.S. Figure Skating were among the victims feared dead following an American Airlines collision with an Army helicopter late Wednesday night.

Harding, who had joined X just a day earlier, posted a message in response to the “devastating” news that 67 people on board American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter were killed during a collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, near D.C., at around 9 p.m. local time.

Figure Skater Tonya Harding of the United States competes in a figure skating competition circa 1992. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) (Focus on Sport)

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“The events that took place last night in Washington, DC are absolutely devastating,” Harding’s post read.

“I’m being told that several professional figure skaters were aboard the flight as well. Sending my love and prayers to all the victims and their families.”

First responders recovered at least 28 bodies from the icy waters of the Potomac River on Thursday. Officials said there were 64 people on board the commercial flight, including four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

FIGURE SKATING COMMUNITY MOURNS VICTIMS OF DEADLY PLANE CRASH COLLISION: ‘AT A LOSS FOR WORDS’

A U.S. Park Police helicopter flies over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital said. “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”

U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that “several members of our skating community” were aboard the flight. The organization said they were returning home from a development camp being held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded on Sunday.

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FILE – U.S. figure skaters Tonya Harding (L) and Nancy Kerrigan avoid each other during a training session in Hamar, Norway, during the 1994 Winter Olympics. (Vincent Amalvy/AFP via Getty Images)

Harding’s post comes a day after she joined the popular social media platform, a move that was met by some controversy. Harding’s career was notably marred by her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, which was plotted by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 30, 2025
American figure skater sets record straight on viral rumor amid airline tragedy

American figure skater Jon Maravilla set the record straight on a story that went viral amid the airline disaster that occurred near Reagan International Airport on Wednesday night.

Maravilla told The Daily Beast in an interview on Thursday he was denied from his flight because of his dog but he was set to fly out of Detroit and not Wichita, Kansas, where the doomed flight originated from. Media reports from Russia originally claimed he was supposed to be on the plane, pointing to Instagram posts from his personal account.

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He told the outlet it was unclear where the reports came from but he was heartbroken over the fate of some of his friends.

“I still can’t believe it,” he told the outlet. “I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time.”

He added that he was in a parking lot when he started to learn the flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter had originated from Wichita.

Officials said Thursday there were no survivors of the crash and that the mission went from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Nearly 30 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

At least six of those who died in the crash had ties to the Skating Club of Boston.

The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe identified those with ties to the club as athletes, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, two coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, the mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, the mother of Spencer, were identified as the victims with ties to the skate club.

“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 of 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.

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“These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
American figure skater says he was barred from flight that collided with Army helicopter

An American figure skater was barred from the American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan International Airport on Thursday night.

Jon Maravilla told Russia’s Sputnik he was not allowed on the flight because his dog was too big to board. He said he ultimately decided to make the 14-hour drive back from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. He also mentioned the issue on his personal Instagram account.

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Rescue workers respond to the scene on the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

“Not allowed past gate to board flight,” he wrote in one post. “Get me tf out of Kansas please.”

He added, “14 hour journey begins.”

Maravilla told RIA Novosti that there were “about 14 figure skaters on the plane, not counting their parents and coaches,” according to The New York Times.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

Emergency lights are reflected in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Brandon)

“Such a tragedy,” he added.

At least 60 people were aboard the American Airlines flight.

U.S. Figure Skating did not confirm the number of members of its organization on the plane.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” the organization said. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

Emergency service vehicles stand near the site of the crash after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed in the Potomac River, outside Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

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“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025