Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn and more athletes mourn tragic loss of figure skaters and others in Washington air crash
Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn and other American athletes mourned the loss of over a dozen figure skaters in the Washington air crash on Wednesday. Sixty-seven people were onboard the plane and the helicopter involved in the crash, but none is believed to have survived.
The devastating crash took place on Wednesday evening when an American Eagles Flight collided midair with a US Army helicopter over Washington DC and fell into the ice-cold Potomac River. The plane reportedly carried nearly 15 figure skates alongside their family members, with six athletes confirmed to be a part of the Skating Club of Boston.
US Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland mourned the loss and confirmed that the figure skaters were returning from a National Developmental Camp.
Mikaela Shiffrin was devastated over the loss of lives in the crash and wrote:
Lindsey Vonn also mourned the loss of figure skaters and shared prayers for the family members of the victims.
U.S. Figure Skating National Champion Illia Malinin said the skating community would forever remember the athletes who lost their lives.
Meanwhile, Vonn is looking to form a team with Shiffrin for the combined event at next month’s World Championships
Lindsey Vonn came out of retirement last year, and while she’s yet to register a podium finish, the 40-year-old expressed the desire to form a team for the newly introduced combined event at next month’s World Championships in Austria.
The duo are two of the most decorated female skiers in history. While Vonn held the record till 2023 with 82 wins, Shiffrin leads the race with 99, and the two pairing up at the World Championships would be a dream team for any skiing fan.
