Figure skating community gathers for tribute to D.C. crash victims

The figure skating community will gather Sunday in Washington, D.C., to remember the victims of the Jan. 29 aircraft collision that killed 67 people, including 11 young skaters and members of their families.

The event, "Legacy on Ice," will be co-hosted by Olympic gold medalists Brian Boitano (1988) and Kristi Yamaguchi (1992). More than three dozen skaters, including a who's who of Olympians, have committed to participate in the exhibition, which will raise money to support victims' families, first responders and aviation professionals who worked at the scene. Funds will be distributed to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation's "DCA Together Relief Fund" and the DC Fire & EMS Foundation.

Nearly half of the passengers aboard the American Airlines plane that collided with a military helicopter on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last month had links to the figure skating community. In all, 11 skaters between ages 11 and 16, four coaches and 13 others -- all family members of the skaters -- were killed, according to the U.S. Figure Skating.

The victims were returning to their homes from Wichita, Kan., where the U.S. national championships were held the prior week, followed by a development camp for the young skaters. They were among the 60 passengers and four crew members on the plane, none of whom survived the crash. The three military crew members on board the helicopter also died.

The exhibition will be held at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Those scheduled to appear include Olympic champions Peggy Fleming (1968), Nathan Chen (2022), Scott Hamilton (1984), Ilia Kulik (1998), and the team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates (2022). Others include silver medalists Nancy Kerrigan (1994) and Paul Wylie (1992).

Johnny Weir, a three-time national champion, is coming out of retirement for the event.

"It's important for me to show solidarity with the rest of our community," Weir told NBC4 Washington. "We will have to rebuild from this generation that we have lost. I stepped away from public performances a couple of years ago, and to come out of retirement would have taken something huge. I think I owe it to the people that we've lost to celebrate their legacy and to make sure that people don't forget everything that, especially those young skaters, dreamt about, that we continue to remember them and stand at center ice and take in the applause for them. ... I couldn't not be a part of it."

"Legacy on Ice" will stream live on Peacock from 3 to 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. NBC is scheduled to air it at 1 p.m. ET on March 30.

--Field Level Media