Olympians Nancy Kerrigan and Peggy Fleming Are Among Those Who Will Honor Ice Skaters Who Died in D.C. Plane Crash

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Matthew Stockman/Getty (2)

Matthew Stockman/Getty (2)

Olympic medalistsNancy Kerrigan,Kristi Yamaguchiand Peggy Fleming are among the headliners of an ice skating tribute for the victims of theD.C. plane crash.

Legacy on Ice, set for Sunday, March 2 in the nation’s capital, will raise funds for the families of the 67 people who died in the crash earlier this year, and for the first responders who were involved in the tragedy.

Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano is co-hosting the event along with Yamaguchi.

“Such an extraordinary number of skating icons have really never been put together like this — like past champions and current champions and even hopefuls all supporting the cause,” Boitanotold the Associated Press. “It says so much about our figure skating community and how tight-knit we are and the support that we have for each other.”

More than three dozen figure skaters who are currently competing or retired will join the tribute, such as two-time Olympic gold medalistNathan Chenand 1998 Olympic champion Ilia Kulik.

On Jan. 29, American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport. The accident was the worst aviation accident in the U.S. since 2001. Of the dozens of victims,28 people were from the skating community.

Eleven of the victims were young skaters from five different clubs, according to a tribute video shared tothe U.S. Figure Skating Instagram page.

“They were beloved members of our global skating community, and we mourn their loss together,” Samuel Auxier , Interim CEO of U.S. Figure Skating, said in astatement.

“We will never forget them. May their passion and excellence inspire us and give us strength in the days ahead,” continued Auxier. “For now, our hearts are heavy with sorrow, and we stand with their families and friends as we grieve this unspeakable loss.”

Weeks later, U.S. Figure Skating has teamed up with Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Entertainment Gang to host the benefit at the Capital One Arena, according to theorganization’s website. Proceeds will be evenly dispersed to support victims’ families and emergency personnel. (Legacy on Icewill stream live on Peacock on March 2 at 3 p.m. ET, and will air on NBC on March 30 at 1 p.m. ET.)

“Seeing figure skating champions come together from near and far to support this event has been unbelievable,” Auxier told the AP. “The historic star power on display reflects the passion, dedication and legacy of this sport.”

Kerrigan and fellow Olympic skater Paul Wylie will represent theSkating Club of Boston, which lost two skaters, two coaches and two parents in the crash, according to the outlet.

Earlier this month, Fleming reflected on how the recent crash impacted her, and how it brought about memories from the past.

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She continued, “This tragedy brings back painful memories of 1961, when a plane crash took the entire U.S. Figure Skating team, including my coach. I remember the silence in the rinks, the shock, and the sadness - but also how our community came together and carried on in their memory.”

source: people.com