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Boston Skating Club’s Legacy: Triumph and Tragedy in Figure Skating

Boston Skating Club’s Legacy: Triumph and Tragedy in Figure Skating/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Skating Club of Boston, a historic training ground for Olympic and world champion figure skaters, is mourning a devastating loss. Two teenage skaters, their mothers, and two coaches from the club died in a midair plane crash Wednesday while returning from a national development camp. The tragedy came just as news broke of club legend Dick Button’s passing at 95. The club has a deep history of both success and sorrow, having also lost several members in the 1961 U.S. figure skating team plane crash. As skaters grieve, they lean on the club’s resilience, determined to honor those lost by continuing the sport’s legacy.

This recent handout photograph provided by The Skating Club of Boston shows club coaches Vadim Naumov, left, and Evgenia Shishkova, who died in an airplane collision with a helicopter on Jan. 29, 2025 in Washington. (The Skating Club of Boston photograph via AP)

Boston Skating Club Tragedy: Quick Look

  • Six members of the Skating Club of Boston died in the Potomac River plane crash Wednesday.
  • Olympic legend Dick Button, a club alum, passed away at 95 the same day.
  • The club has trained Olympic medalists like Nancy Kerrigan, Paul Wylie, and Tenley Albright.
  • The 1961 plane crash that killed half of Team USA also deeply impacted the club.
  • Flowers and tributes filled the club lobby as the figure skating world mourned.
  • Nancy Kerrigan and Tenley Albright visited the club, supporting grieving skaters.

Boston Skating Club’s Legacy: Triumph and Tragedy in Figure Skating

Boston Skating Club’s Legacy: A Deep Look

A Training Ground for Champions

For more than a century, the Skating Club of Boston has shaped the careers of America’s greatest figure skaters. Founded in 1912, the club has been home to Olympic champions, world medalists, and rising stars. Legends like Dick Button, Tenley Albright, Nancy Kerrigan, and Paul Wylie all trained at the club, pushing the sport forward.

Kerrigan, a 1992 Olympic bronze medalist and 1994 Olympic silver medalist, reflected on the club’s deep history:

“It was rich in history. So many elite skaters came through here. It’s amazing.”

A History of Heartbreak and Loss

The club has also experienced deep sorrow.

On Wednesday night, two young skaters, their mothers, and two coaches were returning from a national development camp in Wichita, Kansas, when their plane collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River.

As skaters mourned, news spread that Dick Button—two-time Olympic gold medalist (1948, 1952) and club legend—had passed away at 95.

This tragedy echoes the club’s darkest moment in 1961, when half of the U.S. figure skating team perished in a plane crash en route to the World Championships in Prague.

Paul George, a former U.S. Olympic Committee vice president and club alum, recalled:

“It was the day the music stopped. It took time, but we came back—stronger and better.”

A Club Built on Resilience

Despite its tragedies, the Skating Club of Boston has always found a way to move forward.

After the 1961 crash, the club spent decades rebuilding, as losing skaters and coaches created a void in American figure skating.

Doug Zeghibe, the club’s CEO, acknowledged the long road back:

“It took nearly 60 years to fully emerge from the shadow of the 1961 crash. Now, another tragedy has hit us.”

In 2020, the club moved into a state-of-the-art facility with three rinks, preserving its history while embracing the future. The Tenley E. Albright Performance Center, named after the 1956 Olympic champion, serves as a reminder of the club’s illustrious past.

Grieving Together and Moving Forward

On Thursday, a memorial of flowers and candles filled the club’s lobby, as skaters, families, and alumni gathered to support each other.

A table that once cheered on skaters competing in Wichita had been transformed into a tribute to those lost.

Nancy Kerrigan and Tenley Albright returned to the club to be with their fellow skaters.

“You don’t have to know everyone to feel connected,” Kerrigan said through tears.

She reflected on the resilience skating teaches:

“You fall over and over again, but you get back up. Even when you’re crying, hurting—you get back up and keep moving forward.”

Now, as the club mourns, its members vow to honor those lost by carrying on their dreams.


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