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American figure skater Jon Maravilla set the record straight on a story that went viral amid the airline disaster that occurred near Reagan International Airport on Wednesday night.
Maravilla told The Daily Beast in an interview on Thursday he was denied from his flight because of his dog but he was set to fly out of Detroit and not Wichita, Kansas, where the doomed flight originated from. Media reports from Russia originally claimed he was supposed to be on the plane, pointing to Instagram posts from his personal account.
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He told the outlet it was unclear where the reports came from but he was heartbroken over the fate of some of his friends.
"I still canβt believe it," he told the outlet. "I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time."
He added that he was in a parking lot when he started to learn the flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter had originated from Wichita.
Officials said Thursday there were no survivors of the crash and that the mission went from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Nearly 30 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River.
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At least six of those who died in the crash had ties to the Skating Club of Boston.
The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe identified those with ties to the club as athletes, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, two coaches,Β Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova,Β and Jin Han, the mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, the mother of Spencer, were identified as the victims with ties to the skate club.
"Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy," Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. "Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 of 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.
"These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skatingβs National Development Camp, following last weekβs U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp."
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Members of theΒ figure skating community have spoken out after an American Airlines flight tragically collided with an Army helicopter late Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., leaving all 67 on board both aircraft presumably dead.Β
U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that "several members of our skating community" were aboard the flight. The organization said they were returning home from a development camp being held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded on Sunday.Β
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."Β
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Wichita Mayor Lily Wu did not confirm how many members of U.S. Figure Skating were on boardΒ Flight 5342 during a press conference on Thursday morning.Β
"It was truly an honor to haveΒ future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating, right here in our capital," she said.Β
"We were so excited to have the opportunity to host the national championship, and even yesterday I had folks tell me how wonderful these last few days have been with additional individuals that came into our community, whether to watch or to participate. So our community was really excited and thankful that everything went well with the championship. And so right now we're just waiting for more information from U.S. Figure Skating that we can release. But right now we're just hoping and praying again."Β
First responders switched to recovery efforts in the Potomac River after it was believed that there were no survivors. There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the flight and three soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
AMERICAN FIGURE SKATER SAYS HE WAS BARRED FROM FLIGHT THAT COLLIDED WITH ARMY HELICOPTER
"This is heartbreaking," Team USA figure skater Josphine Lee wrote in a post to her Instagram Stories. "My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone on the flight, including the skaters, coaches, and parents."Β
Team USA pair skater Luke Wang shared a similar sentiment in a post on X.Β
"Praying for all those on the flight from wichita to dc. Among the passengers were skaters and coaches. Absolutely heartbreaking."
Several other Team U.S. figure skaters also took to social media.Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
"Words cannot fathom the fear and sadness I feel from this event," reigning pairs U.S. junior champion Hana Maria Aboian said early Thursday morning. "It is absolutely terrible and I pray for all the athletes, coaches, and everyone onboard to be safe and healthy."
"I am at a loss for words... I can't even explain how devastated I feel for the loss of amazing people that were on this flight. I'm sending prayers to their families and the figure skating community," Starr Andrews said.Β
The International Skating Union also released a statement.Β
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sportβitβs a close-knit familyβand we stand together. We remain in close contact with U.S. Figure Skating and offer our full support during this incredibly difficult time," the statement read in part.Β
Two former Olympians, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also believed to be among the victims of the plane crash, the Kremlin confirmed.Β
The Associated Press contributed to this report.Β
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The American figure skating community suffered severe losses on Wednesday night as six people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston were on board a passenger plane when it collided with a U.S. Army helicopter.
Officials said Thursday there were no survivors of the crash and that the mission went from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Nearly 30 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River.
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The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe identified those with ties to the club as athletes, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, two coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, the mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, the mother of Spencer, were identified as the victims with ties to the skate club.
"Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy," Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. "Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 of 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.
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"These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skatingβs National Development Camp, following last weekβs U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp."
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, confirmed earlier Thursday that Naumov and Shishkova were among those on board the plane.
Naumov and Shishkova competed in pairs during their careers. They won a pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice.
U.S. Figure Skating said there were members of its organization on board as well.
"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," the organization said earlier Thursday. "These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victimsβ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."
The International Skating Union said it was "deeply shocked" over the incident.
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport β itβs a close-knit family β and we stand together," the organization said.
Follow Fox News DigitalβsΒ sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
