‘Frozen in time’: figure skating world unites in grief and tribute at Boston world championships

As figure skating’s world championships began in Boston, a ceremony was held in honor of the 28 members of the sport’s community who died in January’s midair collision

Bryan Armen Graham in Boston
Thu 27 Mar 2025 00.35 GMT
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The lights dimmed, the arena fell silent and a sport took a collective breath. On Wednesday night at TD Garden, the world figure skating championships paused between events for something far more profound than medals or scores: a solemn tribute to the 28 members of the skating community who died in January when American Eagle flight 5342 crashed into the Potomac River.

Held after the women’s short program and before the start of the pairs’ short program, the ceremony honored the skaters, coaches and parents who were returning from a development camp held in conjunction with the US figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas.

Flight 5342 had lifted off from a wintry runway in southeast Kansas, carrying dozens of young skaters, their coaches and parents who had just attended a US Figure Skating development camp following nationals. Many had posted about what they’d learned – new jumps, spins, friendships. They never got the chance to bring that energy home. On final approach to Washington DC, the regional jet collided with a military helicopter, killing all 67 people aboard.

Among the victims were two young athletes from Boston – Jinna Han, 13, and Spencer Lane, 16 – their mothers, along with revered Olympic coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The tragedy cut across generations and geographies: 11 of the dead were skaters between the ages of 11 and 16. The city of Boston, long a historic hub for American skating, became its emotional epicenter.

“Someone once told me time is a great healer,” said International Skating Union president Jae Youl Kim during the memorial. “But for those who have experienced deep loss, we know that time does not simply erase pain. For many of us, it feels like we are frozen in time.”

Doug Lane, whose son Spencer and wife Christine were among those killed, stood before a hushed crowd of thousands at TD Garden and offered a message that blended grief with resolve.

“They haven’t really invented the vocabulary to talk about the grief that we’re all feeling,” Lane said. “So what I thought I would do with my time today is share a few thoughts of hope.”

He called on the audience to support the young skaters who are still here – those who are grieving and still lacing up their skates each day. “They’re hurting,” he said. “I hope we can support them in their skating journeys, but I also hope we can help them find paths of happiness and impact off the ice as well.”

Lane also addressed the systemic failures that may have led to the crash. “Even a layperson like me can easily identify the breakdowns that allowed this to happen,” he said. “But rather than look for blame, I hope we can work with our elected officials to make air travel safer for everyone.”

The 20-minute tribute included a video montage of the victims, poetry read by US Figure Skating’s interim CEO Sam Auxier, before concluding with live performance from Boston’s Coro Allegro Choir. Massachusetts governor Maura Healey and Boston mayor Michelle Wu both addressed the gathering. The audience, including many moved to tears, rose for a standing ovation when it finished.

At the renowned Skating Club of Boston, which produced such champions as Dick Button, Tenley Albright and Nancy Kerrigan and where the six local victims trained and taught, an impromptu memorial remains: two folding chairs that once belonged to Jinna Han and Spencer Lane are now covered in cards, flowers, photos, and stuffed animals. The space is roped off – not by the club, but by the skaters themselves.

“The kids insisted,” said Doug Zeghibe, the club’s chief executive. “It’s their way of keeping Spencer and Jinna close.”

Earlier this month, a gala tribute in Washington DC brought generations of figure skating stars together. Legacy on Ice featured performances by Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Amber Glenn and reigning world champion Ilia Malinin. Thirteen-year-old Isabella Aparicio skated in honor of her father and brother, Franco and Luciano, who were killed. Max Naumov – whose parents, Shishkova and Naumov, died in the crash – performed in their memory.

“They’re not here right now, but they’ll always be here,” Naumov told NBC Sports. “It’s not just me anymore. It’s our family. I have the strength of two other people with me forever.”

The Washington gala raised more than $1.2m for victims’ families and first responders. Malinin, too, has spoken openly about how the crash affected him. Several of the young skaters killed trained at the same rink as the 20-year-old US champion.

“Now I’ll always have them in my head and in my heart,” Malinin said. “This worlds, I really want to dedicate to everyone on that flight. I want to give my all in that performance and really make it special for them.”

Though grief was front and center on Wednesday night, the world championships now turn toward the ice. The event also serves as a critical qualifying step toward the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, with national quotas on the line and international rivalries heating up – even as one of skating’s most dominant nations remains sidelined. Russian skaters are still barred from international competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its third year.

Malinin enters as the overwhelming favorite in the men’s event. Known as the Quad God for his boundary-pushing jumps, he’s looking to defend his world title on home ice. His challengers include France’s Adam Siao Him Fa and Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama.

In the women’s event, the Japanese star Kaori Sakamoto’s bid for a fourth straight world title hit a snag earlier Wednesday when she finished the short program in fifth place behind surprise leader Alysa Liu, back on the world championships stage following a two-year retirement. American Amber Glenn, who entered Boston undefeated this season, was ninth after falling on her opening triple Axel, but honored the crash victims by holding up a T-shirt emblazoned with their names during her post-skate interview.

The pairs field remains wide open, and in ice dance, Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates are seeking a third consecutive world title. That would mark the first three-peat at worlds in the discipline in 28 years.

Still, for many, these world championships will never be just about competition.

“The kids are back on the ice,” Zeghibe said. “But they’re skating with a deeper purpose.”

The lights came up harshly after the tribute. The music swelled and the competition resumed. But for those who lost friends, coaches and teammates this winter, the ice will never quite feel the same.

“February was hard,” as Zeghibe put it. “March has been a little better. And it’s all our hope that April will be better still.