Local figure skating community mourns loss of peers on American Airlines plane that crashed mid-air
The figure skating community is mourning the loss of peers who were on the American Airlines flight that crashed recently.
"I think it's more like a state of shock. We don't really know. Like, we don't really even believe it, I think, yet," Annabelle Morozov, a professional U.S. ice dancer, said. "You know, it happened pretty much in the middle of the night. So we all just woke up to this news."
Morozov was sickened by the tragic news.
She recently started competing for the U.S. this season, training at Hertz Arena in Estero.
She said many of the top figure skaters in the country were at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
"Our U.S. nationals, one of the biggest competitions of the season for all U.S. teams," Morozov said.
Most of the skaters had arrived back home on Monday after the competition was over.
Morozov says after the main competitions, there's a national development team camp for elite young skaters.
"That's who she says was sadly amongst those who were on the flight," Morozov said. "The young kids with their families and the coaches that were with them. So, you know, most of the people I know were luckily already home, but we did have, you know, some of our coaches that we know and are friends with also on the flight."
She says her parents also closely knew Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, two coaches from Russia who were killed.
"I think we're just still processing everything, trying to, you know, be there for everybody and just say words of support, because I think not just us, but the whole community is, like, devastated," Morozov said.
Morozov said she hasn't spoken to her competition partner, Jeffery Chen, yet.
She said she knew he returned to California safely.
Morozov said she's just praying for all the victims' families and the figure skating community.
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