Nancy Kerrigan spoke at an emotional news conference Thursday after six people with ties to the skating club, where she competed died in an airline’s tragedy near Reagan International Airport near Washington, DC
Kerrigan is one of the decorated members of the Skating Club of Boston with Dick Button, Tenley Albright and Paul Wylie.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, on the right, has embraced while arriving at the Boston skating club with colleague Olympic Skater Tenley Albright, Left, Thursday 30 January 2025, in Norwood, Messe. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Olympic Silver Medal fought through tears as she talked to journalists. Albright stood next to Kerrigan.
“Like everyone here, I’m not sure how to treat it,” she said, adding that her husband, who is her agent, by getting calls to do interviews. “I didn’t feel it was right to be home and do interviews for this … We just wanted to be here and be part of our community.”
Boston skating club identified Jinna Han and Spencer Lane as the two athletes killed in the crash. Their mothers and two coaches were also identified as victims.
“I’ve never seen anyone love skating as much as these two, and that’s why I think it hurts so much … When I’ve been able to be here and watch them grow, the kids work here really hard .
LIVE UPDATIONS: Military Helicopter clashes by air near Reagan National Airport
Organs are on the ground next to emergency vehicles, near the site of the crash, after the American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a black Hawk helicopter as he approached Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River, outside Washington, USA, January 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
“We’ve been through tragedies before so Americans as human beings and we’re strong and I’m guessing that’s how we respond to it and my answer is to be with the people I love because I needed support.
Kerrigan hoped that families would find the courage and strength to take the next steps.
The skating club in Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe added that Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, mother of Spencer, had been identified as the other victims. He announced it in a statement earlier in the day.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a terrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe said in a statement sent to social media. “Skating is a densely composed society where parents and children gather six of seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. By skaters, coaches and parents in the plane, we think six were from the skating club by Boston .
Emergency Responses -Units respond to the accident site for an American Airlines -Fly and Black Hawk -Helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, Thursday 30 January 2025. The commercial flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter last night . (Leigh Green for Pakinomist Digital.)
“These athletes, coaches, parents returned from us art skating national development camp after last week’s US championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow compete at the US championships.
