United States Olympic figure skating legend Nancy Kerrigan broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters on Thursday outside the Boston skating club that lost six members of its group in the DC plane crash.
Kerrigan, 55, said she had watched the news all night after learning about the tragic events that occurred on Wednesday night.
‘We’ve been through tragedies before as Americans, as people, and we’re strong. I guess it’s how we respond to it and my response is to be with people I care about,’ she said. ‘We just wanted to be here and be part of our community.
‘I needed support, so that’s why I’m here. It’s a shock. I was watching all night (on television) and when you find out you know some of the people on the plane it is an even bigger blow.
‘We just wish them well, the families, the courage and the strength to make the next steps.’
Kerrigan is known across the world for being embroiled in one of the biggest scandals in sport when, in 1994, she was attacked and struck across the knee with a baton and left unable to compete in the upcoming US Figure Skating Championships.
Nancy Kerrigan broke down in tears as she spoke outside the Boston skating club that lost six members of its group in the DC plane crash
Kerrigan fought back tears throughout her speech and said she had watched the news all night
Kerrigan, and Olympic silver medalist, stands alongside fellow Olympian Tenley Albright
It later emerged the attack was planned by the then-husband of fellow American figure skater Tonya Harding, Jeff Gillooly, aimed at stopping her competing in the Winter Olympics that year, too.
Gillooly hired assailant Shane Stant and his uncle to carry out the attack in Detroit, Michigan. Harding herself has always denied any knowledge about the plans.
The collision in DC on Wednesday took place as the American Airlines flight carrying 64 people made its final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shortly before 9pm ET.
A Black Hawk helicopter cut through the airspace from the opposite direction under cover of darkness, with both aircraft seemingly unaware of the other’s presence.
They slammed into one another just 400ft above ground, erupting in a violent explosion before plunging into the freezing Potomac River below.
Everyone aboard the jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita Airport in Kansas that collided with an Army helicopter is feared dead.
Doug Zeghibe, the head of the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts, announced the names of the six people associated with his club who were on board.
They are: Jinna Han, Jin Han, Spencer Lane, Christine Lane, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
In 1994, Kerrigan (right) was attacked in Detroit and left unable to compete in the upcoming US figure skating championships – it later emerged the assailant was hired by rival Tonya Harding’s (left) then-husband. Harding has always denied knowledge of the plans
Spencer Lane, 16, also shared this photo from inside the doomed American Airlines plane
It comes after Spencer Lane shared a photo from inside the doomed plane shortly before it crashed.
The 16-year-old uploaded the photo around 7pm ET Wednesday, which appeared to show the jet taxiing on the runway at Wichita Airport before it took off for its final flight.
He captioned it ICT -> DCA – the codes for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Other elite members of the American figure skating team who were expected at the next winter Olympics were also onboard the plane, a bombardier CRJ700.
They were returning home to the DC area after attending a National Development Camp for young skaters in Wichita, Kansas.
Figure skater, Spencer Lane, 16, (middle back) alongside Russian couple Evgenia Shishkova, (middle front) 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, (right) have been confirmed as passengers
The son of Russian figure skaters Skhiskhkova and Naumov, Maxim, was at the Wichita camp although it is unclear if he was also on the fateful flight.
In a statement, Zeghibe said: ‘Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy.
‘Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 or 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family.
‘Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.
‘These athletes, coaches and parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita.
‘This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the most promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The Club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the national development camp.’
