Two passengers on the American Airways jet that crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday night time have been world-class ice skaters who labored as coaches in america. The skaters, two champions from Russia, shared a partnership each on the ice and in marriage.
The Skating Membership of Boston confirmed in a social media post on Thursday that Yevgeniya Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, have been on the airplane that collided with a army helicopter because it approached Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport, resulting in the crash that killed everybody on board. Many passengers have been athletes and coaches leaving the U.S. Determine Skating nationwide championships in Wichita, Kan.
Ms. Shishkova, also referred to as Evgenia Shishkova, and Mr. Naumov competed for Russia in pair determine skating earlier than transferring to america in 1998. They have been married of their native St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1995.
Within the Nineties, Mr. Naumov and Ms. Shishkova reached the highest of their careers. They gained gold in pair skating on the World Skating Championship in Japan in 1994, and took part within the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics. General, they skated in six World Championships, profitable a group of gold, silver and bronze medals.
They didn’t qualify for the 1998 Olympics and ended their skating careers to turn out to be coaches. Like {many professional} Russian skaters, they moved to America whereas Russia skilled a pointy financial downturn after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
They settled in Simsbury, Conn., the place they joined the Worldwide Skating Middle of Connecticut. Other than teaching, they took half in skilled tournaments.
The teaching was not at all times straightforward. Talking with the Yankee Journal of New England in 2007, Mr. Naumov said that in america, youngsters “are overexposed to competitors.”
“Dad and mom wish to see outcomes for what they’re paying for, and coaches wish to present these outcomes,” he mentioned. “In Russia the federal government paid for our coaching. I practiced with a bunch, and I didn’t begin to actually compete till I used to be 15.”
On his profile page for The Skating Membership of Boston, Mr. Naumov mentioned that he beloved “to create an surroundings the place college students have enjoyable whereas working onerous.”
Juliet Macur contributed reporting.
