Kim Jae Youl, President of the International Skating Union (ISU) from South Korea, expressed his condolences to the figure skaters, coaches, and family members who lost their lives in a tragic plane crash near Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, the ISU released a statement, saying, “The International Skating Union (ISU) and the global skating community are deeply shocked by the tragic accident involving an American Airlines flight in Washington, D.C. last night.”
Kim also stated, “Today, the world of Figure Skating is heartbroken. We share our deepest, most sincere condolences with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in this terrible crash.” He added, “To lose so many community members in this way brings sadness beyond words.”
On Wednesday, a tragic accident occurred when a passenger plane attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.
U.S. fire authorities reported that all passengers on board are believed to have perished. The passenger plane had 64 people on board, while the military helicopter carried three.
The U.S. Figure Skating Association confirmed that several of its athletes were on the crashed flight, returning from a training camp held after the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Reports also indicated that Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the 1994 ISU World Figure Skating Champions in pairs, were on board with their son Maxim, also a figure skater.
Meanwhile, at the ongoing ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, a moment of silence was held to honor the crash victims.