Additional Coverage:
- Figure-Skating Sisters Everly, 11, and Alydia Livingston, 14, Killed in Potomac River Plane Crash (newsbreak.com)
Tragedy struck the figure skating community when sisters Everly, 11, and Alydia Livingston, 14, were identified among the victims of Wednesday’s plane crash in Washington, D.C. The young skaters, members of the Washington Figure Skating Club, were returning home from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Their final social media post showed the girls rink-side at the championship venue, excited for the competition. Now, that post is filled with condolences from fellow skaters and fans mourning their loss.
The crash occurred when the American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Authorities have recovered 28 bodies and expect no survivors. The plane carried 64 people, including passengers and crew.
The helicopter carried three soldiers.
Several members of the U.S. figure skating community, including athletes, coaches, and parents, were on board the flight. Russian skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were also among the passengers.
Both U.S. Figure Skating and the International Skating Union released statements expressing their grief and offering support to the skating community during this difficult time. They acknowledged the close-knit nature of the sport and the devastating impact of this loss.