Members of the art skating are believed to have been killed in the aircraft accident near Reagan International Airport late Wednesday night.
The crash came hours ahead of the European Art Skating Championships that honored the victims for a moment of silence before skaters took the ice.
The legendary broadcast duo of Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir were on the call, and before the skating took place, they both offered emotional tribute.
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Emergency Response Units evaluate the wreck in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided by a helicopter as he approached Ronald Reagan National Airport. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“When we get on the air for the European Art Skating Championships, we all hurt today. We were absolutely heart -bridged by the news that several members of our skating were among those lost in the tragic plane crash in Washington, DC, last night , ”Weir began.
Weir then stopped parts of sentimental statements from us art skating and International Skating Union.
After a moment of silence, presumably to hold back tears, Lipinski offered her compassion.
“It’s unimaginable loss. My heart is completely broken for our skating, their families and dear. My heart is with all the affected families and that is the part I have no words to. It won’t do it fair. It is So widespread throughout our skating.
Weir added, “Our job is to ensure that everyone’s spirit lives on. It is a huge loss that our society feels and the grief we feel for our tight society and the pain that we feel for our friends and colleagues, is unimaginable today.
Figure skating Champions Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski comment on NBC on the Art Skating’s free skating on day seven of Sochi 2014 winter -ol at Iceberg Skating Palace on February 14, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (John Berry/Getty Images)
The first respondents switched to recovery efforts in the Potomac River after it was assumed that there were no survivors. There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Airlines flight and three soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter.
Law enforcement continues their investigation of the American Airlines plane crashing into the Potomac River as it tried to land in Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Two former Olympiers, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also believed to be among the victims of the aircraft accident, the Kremlin confirmed.
