IOC President: “I feel deep sadness”
The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said that there were a number of athletes who were said to have been on board the American passenger plane that collided this morning with a US military helicopter in the capital, Washington.
Bach said in a statement that: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic air accident in Washington, DC.”
He continued: “On behalf of the International Olympic Committee, and personally, I offer our heartfelt condolences to all those affected, who we understand may include Olympic athletes, young athletes and their support staff.
He continued: “Our thoughts are with all the victims, their families and loved ones during this extremely difficult time.”
Among the passengers on the plane were figure skaters, family members and coaches returning from events in Wichita, Kansas, including former Russian-born world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
The sport’s national governing body confirmed that several members of the U.S. figure skating community were on the flight after participating in events related to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.
Two Russian figure skaters were also on the plane, Russia’s TASS news agency reported, citing a source.
