Figure Skating Legends Speak Out on Tragic Death of Olympic Hopefuls in DC Plane Crash

Scott Hamilton penned a poignant statement upon learning that last night's American Airlines crash had claimed the lives of young Olympic hopeful athletes, their coaches and other figure skating officials.

The Olympic gold medalist and retired figure skater, now 66, took to his X account (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, shortly before noon Eastern time, writing, "There are no words."

"Nothing that can truly represent the devastation caused by the plane crash in Washington DC last night," he added. "A tragedy that claimed the lives of skaters, coaches, parents and officials. My heart is shattered for our skating community.

Hamilton, who won a gold medal in the 1984 Winter Olympics along with four consecutive U.S. and World Championships, concluded by asking fans to "Please pray for the families!"

The exact cause of the crash that occurred in the late evening hours on Wednesday, between a military-operated Black Hawk helicopter and commercial American Airlines flight 5342 ready to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., is still under investigation.

ADVERTISEMENT

All 64 people on board the plane–60 U.S. and Russian figure skaters and four crewmembers–along with three soldiers from the helicopter, are presumed dead. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River as of Thursday afternoon, per PBS.

John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital, explained, "We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”

Other notable names who have publicly grieved last night's horrific plane crash include former competitive figure skater and actress Tara Lipinski and Meryl Davis.

"My heart is broken for our skating community, Lipinski wrote in a Jan. 30 upload to her Instagram Story. "It's unimaginable the loss. We will mourn their loss and ALWAYS remember them. My heart is with all the families affected - that part I have no words for."

"'Strength' and 'love' just won't do it justice," Lipinski, 42, continued, "So many of our own were on this tragic flight and my heart aches, for them and for everyone apart of this devastating accident."

ADVERTISEMENT

Davis, a 2014 Olympic figure skating champion and 2010 silver medalist, also took to her Instagram Story on Thursday with a lengthy tribute. "My heart is shattered thinking of those sweet young souls whose lives were cut cruelly short, still buzzing from the magic of development camp in Wichita and full of hopes and dreams for the future," the now 38-year-old wrote in part, going on to call it "An unspeakable loss for our skating community and beyond."

Next: ‘Dance Moms’ Star’s Beloved Father Is Among the D.C. Plane Crash Victims