SHAWNEE, Kan. — Elite figure skaters were among the 60 passengers that were killed when an American Airlines jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
The figure skating community describes itself as "tight-knit," and members in the Kansas City area are feeling the impacts of the tragedy.
"I had the news on, and when I heard this plane crash and they said it came from Wichita, big pit in my stomach," said Charmin Savoy, a coach with Kansas City Figure Skating Club.
Savoy — along with her colleagues, students and their families — was in Wichita, Kansas, at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this past weekend.
Thursday morning, Savoy learned the plane was carrying skaters, which many have described as up-and-coming athletes.
"I didn't want to know who they are 'cause it's too close to home," she said.
But, Savoy soon learned Russian-born coaches and former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, a married couple, were killed in the crash.
On Sunday, Savoy captured a picture of fellow coach Marina Eltsova alongside Naumov and his son. They were celebrating his son's win; Maxim Naumov placed fourth at the championships. Eltsova had a long-established relationship with Shishkova and Naumov after training with them for years.
Savoy saw Eltsova at Kansas City Figure Skating Club practice on Thursday morning.
"She's upset, visibly upset, so we hugged each other and we talked a few minutes," Savoy said. "We were just trying to absorb what had just happened, being that we were just there."
Both Savoy and Bonnie Lewis, another coach with Kansas City Figure Skating Club, say the figure skating community is a small one.
Lewis knew at least one victim on the plane and woke up Thursday morning to the news.
"I was like brushing my teeth and shaking, and then just to hear the more news come out, and you see the familiar names, people that you've met, and it just really hit close to home," Lewis said.
"I'm still waiting on some of the names," she continued.
But for now, the tight-knit community will come together.
"We're trying to remember who was there, and trying to remember the good parts of what we saw last week," Savoy said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.