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≡ LOSSES AND SADNESS ≡
The identities of more individuals who perished in the Wednesday crash of American Eagle flight 5342 above Washington, D.C. after a collision with an Army helicopter, have become known, with 24 of the 60 passengers on the flight – 40% – either skaters, coaches or officials.
In addition to the six people associated with The Skating Club of Boston – teen skaters Spencer Lane (16) and Jinna Han (13) and their mothers, Christine and Jin, and coaches (and 1994 World Pairs Champions) Vadim Naumov and Yevgenya Shishkova – the skating-relayed deaths include:
● Skaters Everly (14) and Lydia (11) Livingston, and parents Donna and Peter Livingston.
● Ice Dance skater Sean Kay (11) and mother Julia Kay.
● Ice Dance skater Angela Yang (11), who partnered with Sean Kay.
● Coach Sasha Kirsanov, 46, who mentored Kay and Yang, at the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club.
● Skater Franco Aparicio and father Luciano, along with coach Inna Volyanskaya, 59, of the Ashburn Ice House in Virginia and a former Russian Pairs skater.
● Skater Brielle Magdalena Beyer, 12, and mother Justyna, from the Skating Club of Northern Virginia.
● Skater Cory Haynos, 16, and parents Stephanie and Roger Haynos, from northern Virginia.
● Skater Olivia Ter, 12, from Prince George’s County, Maryland.
● Skater Edward Zhou, from northern Virginia.
The 15 skaters and coaches and nine parents were at the USA Figure Skating national development camp which followed the national championships in Wichita, Kansas that ended on 26 January.
The skaters appear to all have been between the ages of 11 and 16.
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International Skating Union President Jae Youl Kim (KOR) told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the European Figure Skating Championships in Estonia:
“At the moment we want to focus on mourning those who lost their lives and also provide support for the ones who lost their loved ones. We’ll take one step at a time.”
He added that special arrangements will be made for the 2025 ISU World Championships, which will be held in Boston this year, from 26-30 March:
“We will discuss with our counterparts in Boston what should be done to honor those who left us in this tragic way. One way to honor them is to make sure that we provide the greatest event, to show the respect.”
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One of the most impactful and influential individuals in the history of figure skating, American Dick Button, passed away on Thursday (30th) at age 95 in North Salem, New York.
Button was a dominant skater, winning men’s Singles world titles in 1948-49-50-51-52 and Olympic golds in 1948 (at 18!) and 1952, plus seven U.S. titles between 1946-52. An major innovator in the sport, he was the first to perform a double Axel (1948 Olympic Winter Games), a triple jump – a triple Loop at the 1952 Winter Games – and created the flying camel spin, which was also called the “Button Camel.”
Beyond the ice, Button became one of the most recognized skating personalities in the world from his television commentary on the sport, which began in 1960 and continued all the way to 2010. He was never shy about criticism, but also equally thrilled to praise those who showed brilliance on the ice.
To most Americans, Button was the voice of the sport for decades, far surpassing his credentials as a skater with true style, wit and authenticity.
Fellow American Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic men’s champion, put it well when he said, “Dick was one of the most important figures in our sport. There wasn’t a skater after Dick who wasn’t helped by him in some way.”
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