Alex Morgan Joins America in Mourning the Loss of US Figure Skating Stars by Washington Crash

“It was such an amazing experience.” This is how rising ice skating star Spencer Lane concluded his message on Instagram while sharing the exciting news about achieving a long-held dream just a day ago. As a member of the Skating Club of Boston, he expressed gratitude to his coaches, teammates, and the U.S. Figure Skating community for an unforgettable journey. 

But who could have imagined that this flight wouldn’t just be Lane’s journey home—but the final chapter of his young life? That’s because, on Wednesday night, tragedy struck when an American Airlines Flight 5342 plane collided mid-air with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C. Among the 67 victims of the horrific crash that left no survivors, “several” of them were members of the U.S. figure skating community.

Spencer’s mother Christine Lane was also on board, and so were 13-year-old skater Jinna Han and her mother, Jin Han. Both Spencer and Jinna were members of the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood. Their Russian coaches, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, both former World Champions, also lost their lives in the crash. 

Heartbroken by the tragedy, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO, Sarah Hirshland shared a heartfelt note on social media of Team USA, while expressing her condolences on the tragic loss. “We are devastated, and there are truly no words to capture the depth of our sorrow,” read Hirshland’s lengthy message shared on @teamusa’s official Instagram account. “These Olympic hopefuls represented the bright future of Team USA, embodying the very essence of what it means to represent our country – perseverance, resilience, and hope.”

“They were remarkable young people and talents, passionately pursuing their dreams, and they will forever hold a cherished place in the Team USA family.” Notably, this post caught the eye of Alex Morgan, who in a heartbeat, shared this message on her Instagram story. The USWNT icon also seems to be struck by the shocking events in the history of the American skating community.

Spencer was inspired to take up skating in 2022 after witnessing Nathan Chen secure a gold medal for the U.S. at the Olympics. As Jinna herself shared in 2022 while speaking to NBC10 Boston, she, too, was inspired by Chen. She also revealed her dream: “to go to the Olympics and try to get a gold medal.”

Of course, Jinna had a lot of potential to excel. Olga Ganicheva as well as her husband Aleksey Letov, coaches of the teenage girl, revealed that she was nicknamed “Jinna Starina, like a star.” The two had worked with Jinna for almost 4 years. That somehow saw them working up to 10 hours a day, six or seven days a week.

All six were traveling back home from the National Development Camp, which took place alongside the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Tragically, the flight crashed just after 9:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday (02:00 GMT) and fell into the Potomac River. As of Thursday afternoon, officials reported that 28 bodies had been recovered from the river, along with the remains of all three soldiers who were on board the Army helicopter. As the tragic news spread, the country came together to mourn the victims.

More American sporting figures join Alex Morgan in extending condolences

Aside from Alex Morgan, alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn also got to know about the news and extended her support to those affected. Commenting on the post that had Sarah Hirshland’s profound words, Vonn expressed, “What a horrible loss💔.” That’s not all; the 4x World Championship winner also shared the story while writing, “My thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones of this tragic loss 💔🙏🏾”

Simultaneously, American hurdler Alia Armstrong also commented on the post saying, “May God cover the hearts of the families of these beloved people 🙏🏾❤.” A heartbroken Doug Zeghibe, the chief executive of the Skating Club of Boston said, “We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.” According to Mr. Zeghibe both Spencer and Jinna were “leaders” at the club and were “kind” despite having “high standards”.

It is indeed a sad day for the entire sports community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected and offer our strong support during this difficult time.