Two passengers on an American Airlines jet that crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday night were renowned ice skaters who served as coaches in the United States. The skaters, champions from Russia, had a partnership both on the ice and in marriage.
The Skating Club of Boston confirmed in a social media post on Thursday that Yevgeniya Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, were aboard the plane that collided with a military helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. The incident led to a crash that resulted in the deaths of all individuals on board. Many passengers were athletes and coaches returning from the U.S. Figure Skating national championships held in Wichita, Kansas.
Ms. Shishkova, also known as Evgenia Shishkova, and Mr. Naumov represented Russia in pair figure skating before relocating to the United States in 1998. The couple married in their hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1995.
During the 1990s, Mr. Naumov and Ms. Shishkova reached the pinnacle of their careers, winning a gold medal in pair skating at the World Skating Championship in Japan in 1994. They also participated in the Winter Olympics in 1992 and 1994, competing in a total of six World Championships and earning a variety of gold, silver, and bronze medals.
After failing to qualify for the 1998 Olympics, they concluded their competitive skating careers and transitioned into coaching. Like many Russian skaters, they moved to the United States during a significant economic downturn in Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The couple settled in Simsbury, Connecticut, where they became part of the International Skating Center of Connecticut. In addition to coaching, they participated in professional skating tournaments.
Coaching presented its challenges. In a 2007 interview with Yankee Magazine of New England, Mr. Naumov remarked that children in the United States are “overexposed to competition.” He noted that parents often seek immediate results for their investments, while coaches are under pressure to deliver these results. In contrast, he described the training environment in Russia, where government funding supported athletes and competition typically began at an older age.
On his profile page with The Skating Club of Boston, Mr. Naumov expressed his enthusiasm for creating a fun and hardworking environment for his students.