“They are all of ours.” How Russian athletes and Olympic champions responded to the catastrophe of the aircraft with skaters in the United States

The International Union of Skating Chances (ISU) has issued an application on the organization’s website after the crash of the aircraft in the United States. ISU expressed condolences to everyone whom the tragedy affected.

“We are deeply shocked by a tragic incident with the American Airlines flight in Washington last night. We were heartbroken, learning that among those who were on board were skaters, as well as their families, friends and coaches, ”the appeal says.

There were eight American skaters on board the crashed liner. The flight from Wichito, Kansas, Spencer Lane, Ginna Khan, Franco Aparisio, Everly and Alidiya Livingstona, Sean Kay, Angela Young and Edward Zhou flew to Washington. It also became known that in a broken plane were the world champions in paired skating from Russia Evgeny Shishkov and Vadim Naumov.

The skaters are shocked by the news of the death of colleagues

Former coach of Naumova and Shishkova Lyudmila Velikova in a conversation with News.ru said that the skaters could really be on board.

“I don’t know if they were there. But several people called me, they said that it seems like for sure. Apparently, they still do not know 100 percent. I don’t know what to say. This is a nightmare. Young, talented, wonderful guys, real friends, ”said Velikova.

Three -time US figure skating champion, an American with Russian roots Ilya Malinin on his Instagram page (prohibited social network in Russia; belongs to META, recognized as an extremist organization and prohibited in the Russian Federation) wrote that he continues to hope for the best. “I hope and pray that with everyone who was on board, everything is fine. May God keep you. I pray for everything to cost, ”Malinin wrote.

Figure skating coach Alexander Zaitsev said that if the death of Shishkova and Naumova is confirmed, this will be a big grief.

The sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev reacted to the tragic news. “A terrible tragedy … terrible … I grieve with everyone and condolences,” he wrote in his Telegram channel.

Alexey Yagudin doubted the death of Russian skaters in a plane crash

In turn, the Olympic figure skating champion Alexei Yagudin expressed doubts about the death of Russian skaters. In a conversation with News.ru, he noted that no one published official lists of people who were registered on a flight.

Tatyana Tarasova, Honored Coach of Figure Skating, indicated that she has only information about the skaters of Anthony Ponomarenko and Annabel Morozov, who were definitely not on board the collapsed airliner.

“I have no information except the one that is written in the newspapers. I can only say that Ponomarenko was at home, he was not in this plane. And that Morozov is also at home. I managed to call America, ”said Tarasova.

Zhurova urged not to divide the skaters into strangers and ours and offered her help

Elena Tchaikovskaya, head coach of the Russian figure skating team, said that she would not comment on the crash of the aircraft in the United States, since at the moment there is no confirmed information about the tragedy.

The Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FFFKR) also refused to comment on the plane crash.

In turn, the Olympic champion in speed skating and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova called not to divide the skaters who died in a plane crash in the United States and strangers.

“They are all of ours,” said Zhurova. She added that the Russian side is ready to provide the necessary assistance to the families of dead athletes if relatives turn to her.