Figure skating coach Natalya Gudin is grieving the loss of her husband, Alexandr Kirsanov, and their students following the tragic American Airlines plane crash. In an interview with ABC News, Gudin expressed the profound impact of losing her husband, students, and friends in the crash.
Kirsanov, who coached young skaters in Delaware alongside his wife, was accompanying two students to the U.S. Figure Skating’s development camp in Wichita, Kansas, when the plane they were on collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River on January 29.
Gudin shared that she and Kirsanov had made the decision together for him to attend the development camp with the students. She last heard from him before boarding the flight and was awaiting his call upon landing in Virginia. However, after the crash, Gudin did not receive any communication from her husband. She learned about the incident through another parent and expressed her desire to travel to D.C. to gather more information about Kirsanov.
The devastating crash involved at least 14 figure skaters, along with other passengers and crew members. The U.S. Figure Skating organization confirmed the presence of several members of the skating community on the ill-fated flight returning from the development camp.
The organization expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and declared its solidarity with the victims’ families. The students traveling with Kirsanov were identified as Sean Kay and Angela Yang. Delaware Senator Chris Coons shared his condolences for the victims and their families, emphasizing the impact on the local figure skating community and the state at large.