‘When this happens, it breaks you’ – Ice skaters reel from US plane crash

In Boston’s Skating Club, no one had any doubt that 13 -year -old Jinnah Han and 16 -year -old Spencer Lane would go too far in a game that they fell in love with.

Even in a club that has produced countless aristocrats – level skates – where the competition is as difficult as it is – both stood outside.

Club CEO Doug Zeghibe told me, “He was identified as the future of the game.”

“So, to see such promising talents, it is difficult. They were really, really on the tightness of greatness and in fact, not finally Boston’s Skating Club but kill his goals of representing his country Stayed. “

That talent, on full performance in the video, which shows both of them that they are performing with a strength and maturity beyond their age, so they were invited to a high performance camp, who was invited to Wichita, Kansas this week The US National Figure followed the skating championship.

After the camp, he boarded an American airlines regional jet on Wednesday evening, planning to fly homes for Massachusetts through Washington DC. They were killed among 60 passengers when the jet had a middle-hurry collision with a helicopter and fell into the Potomac River.

His mothers, Christine Lane and Jin Han, and club’s stars Wadim Naomov and Evenia Sheeshkova were also on the board, meaning that six of the accident victims were associated with all the world famous skating clubs.

Skating at such a high level demands a large commitment, in which schoolwork is done online every day after hours on ice.

Essentially, close relationships develop equally between coaches and members of the club and in front of such a disaster, the club is a natural place to collect houses.

A few days ago, club members Alisa Ephimova and Misha Mitroffanov won the US couple’s title at Wichita before taking the earlier flight.

“They were just two sunshine that you get energy as soon as you see them,” Ephimova told me.

“Every time I will walk in this ice rink, I will see them tied my skates in the morning, saying” Hello, “Seeing his face burning.”

“Spencer was a cracker, this is the best way to insert,” said Mitrofainov.

“He started skating much later than other skates, but due to his amazing talent, he proceeded so soon.”

At the end of a hard day training, he told me, both will close their skates and move upwards to start catching on academic work.

Now, in the entrance of the club, photos capturing them in speed on ice are surrounded by tributes and flowers. Jinnah has excluded her arms. The Spencer focuses deeply on his face.

“You don’t expect it,” said Mitroffanov. “And when this happens, it breaks you.”

Originally Russian coaches Naomov and Sheeshkova, 1994 world couple were skating champions. He leaves another promising talent of a 23 -year -old son, Maxim, Boston, who finished fourth in the men’s competition in Wichita.

In its history of more than 100 years, the club has previously seen how success can be overshadhed quickly from the tragedy.

It was a house of 10 out of 18 members of the American Figure Skating Team, who was killed in a plane crash in Prague on the way to the 1961 World Championship.

CEO Zighib immediately thought of the accident as he saw the news in front on Wednesday night.

“My first idea was that it could not happen again,” he told me. “And I was just like, how can electricity strike twice?”

One of the many famous alumni of the club, Nancy Kerigan is also to show its solidarity in the club and mourn the loss of six people.

Prior to his 1994 Winter Olympic silver medal, an attacker hit his knee with a baton after a practice session. The attacker was later revealed that the attacker was hired by the husband of Tony Harding, a rival of the attacker Kerigan.

“The community stood behind me and I was grateful to him,” he said.

“And so, it’s my turn that now hopes to be here. I am not sure what to do. Maybe a cup of coffee or hug. I’m here for a throat. I don’t know, just I just want it I am able to be able to give back what I felt. “

Within a few weeks, the club is organizing the World Figure Skating Championship to be held in the city in March.

It is a big responsibility to bear this.

Zighib said, “All this needs to be done by us, not only in running this club, not only in running the World Championship, but also in managing grief now,” when I asked him how they asked Will face

This event will be an opportunity to respect not only from this club, but also lost life. A total of 14 members of the figure skating community were killed in the accident.

“I think the future search is part of the emotional treatment process,” he said, “and it is good to have things to focus on it that are positive for the game.”

“We are going to take it day by day, as much as possible for our members, and then find out: how do we move forward?”