Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Figure skaters performed a tribute in Washington for victims of a tragic plane crash.
- Maxim Naumov, whose parents died in the crash, delivered an emotional performance.
- The event raised over $1.2 million, with support from the skating community and sports teams.
SALT LAKE CITY — Figure skaters took to the ice in Washington, Sunday, to honor the victims of the deadly midair collision that claimed the lives of 67 people, including many in the close-knit skating community.
The performers at the "Legacy on Ice" benefit included Maxim Naumov, whose parents, figure skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were among those killed when a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter collided with a regional jet near the nation's capital on Jan. 29.
Naumov skated to his parents' favorite song from their native Russia, then dropped to his knees at the center of the ice and sobbed. The crowd of about 15,000 people watching "climbed to its feet, applauded — and cried with him," The New York Times reported.
The event was hosted by Olympic gold medalists Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano and featured Peggy Fleming, Nancy Kerrigan, Johnny Weir, defending world champion Ilia Malinin and other big names in the skating world.
Revered figure skater Scott Hamilton led the crowd in prayer.
"I just had to come here to pray because I just felt so crushed with sadness," Hamilton told The New York Times. "Especially when children are involved, how else do you find the strength to endure these things in the world?"
Hamilton later called Naumov's skating at the event "one of the most powerful performances I have ever witnessed" and urged people to consider donating to help "the grieving families and 1st responders" in a post on X.
The event, which aired on Peacock, has already raised more than $1.2 million, according to Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which said the sellout crowd included 500 first responders and some 150 family members of the victims.
Also, there were representatives from Washington's professional sports teams. The Washington Capitals hockey team, whose home arena hosted the benefit, showed their support for the figure skating community at their game Saturday with helmet decals, CNN reported.
The crash plunged American Airlines flight 5342 and the Army helicopter into the Potomac River, killing everyone aboard both aircraft. Among the dead were 11 young figure skaters, four coaches and 13 family members returning from a national development camp in Wichita, Kansas.
Utah skaters honored the victims in early February with a memorial vigil hosted by the Cottonwood Heights Figure Skating Club. Three skaters and a coach from Park City participated in the camp that was held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
