BOSTON — The first day of competition at the 2025 world figure skating championships at TD Garden also featured a poignant tribute.
Between the first two sessions of competition Wednesday, the regular schedule of events paused to acknowledge the loss and memories of the 28 members of the figure skating community who died in the mid-air collision over the Potomac River on Jan. 29. Six of those lost were based in the Boston area, including two young skaters: Spencer Lane, 16, and Jinna Han, 13.
Spencer’s father, Doug Lane, was among those who addressed the crowd Wednesday during a ceremony that lasted roughly 20 minutes. While urging support for the young skaters are grieving the loss of their friends, he also offered a message of hope − including hope that the mid-air collision will lead to lasting change.
‘Even a layperson like me can easily identify the systematic breakdowns that allowed this to happen,’ Doug Lane said. ‘But rather than looking for places to place blame, I hope that we can work with our elected officials to make air travel safer for everyone, and for all of our families.’
Doug Lane’s wife, Christine, was also on board American Airlines 5342, which had been traveling to Washington from Wichita, Kansas − the site of the most recent national championships and a national development camp for talented young skaters thereafter. As a result, nearly half of the 60 passengers on the flight were members of the figure skating community.
There were no survivors in the incident, in which the American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter. Eleven figure skaters, all between the ages of 11 and 16, were among the 67 people who died.
‘Someone once told me time is a great healer,’ said Jae Youl Kim, the president of the International Skating Union, which oversees international figure skating. ‘But for those who have experienced deep loss, we know that time does not simply erase pain. For many of us, it feels like we are frozen in time.’
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also spoke during the tribute. Interim U.S. Figure Skating chief executive officer Samuel Auxier read a poem.
Wednesday’s memorial came three weeks after star figure skaters converged in Washington for ‘Legacy on Ice,’ a tribute show that raised money for victims’ families and first responders.
Multiple American skaters have said the victims of the plane crash will continue to be front of mind for them as these world championships progress. Ilia Malinin, who trained at the same rink as several of the young skaters, said last week that he will dedicate his performance in Boston to their memory.
The traditional post-competition gala, meanwhile, is expected to feature an appearance from Maxim Naumov. Naumov, who is an alternate but not competing at worlds, lost both of his parents in the Jan. 29 crash.
‘I want to share their story as much as possible, because they never got the chance to,’ Naumov told NBC Sports in some of his first extensive comments since the crash. ‘They’re not here right now, but they’ll always be here. It’s not just me anymore. It’s our family. I have the strength of two other people with me forever.’
This story was updated to correct a typographical error.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.