Bay Area U.S. Olympians & ice skating community mourn crash victims

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Bay Area is home to many top ice skaters.

The tight-knit community of skaters spoke about how they will remember the crash victims.

"I did see some of them last week, so it's kind of surreal," said Alysa Liu, a 2022 U.S. Olympian from Oakland.  

Liu said she saw some of the athletes and coaches just days before they were killed in the plane crash. 

She was in Wichita, Kansas to compete in the U.S. Nationals.  

Liu and others said among the victims were talented skaters ages 10 to 17; lives cut short before realizing their full potential.

"They all had such a drive and passion for this sport. And they really loved what they did," said Liu.  

"As soon as I heard it was a plane coming from Wichita, my heart just fell to the floor," said Polina Edmunds, a 2014 U.S. Olympian.

She was also in Wichita attending the Nationals.

She said the young athletes, parents, and coaches were flying home from a development camp that took place after the competition.

"It's just been nothing short of unbelievable devastation," said Edmunds.  

"We all have a dark spot in every rink in the country today," said Paige Scott, general manager of Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center in San Francisco.  

Ice blue balloons now float at the skating rink in honor of the lives lost in the crash. 

"All of us in the skating world knew that the U.S. Championship had just been in Wichita. We were all praying. And praying the best we could," said Scott.

Members of the skating community said those onboard included a couple who were the 1994 World Champions pairs ice skating team.  

They are husband and wife Vadim Naumov and Yevgeniya Shishkova, who worked as coaches.

Fortunately, their adult son, who's also an ice skater, was not on that flight.

"I admire them so much. They were world champions, and they also coach a lot of top skaters," said Arthur Liu, father of Alysa Liu. "Everybody is in a state of shock."  

"Although it's really soon and everyone is still grieving, a lot of us just want to somehow help," said Alysa Liu.

Liu said U.S. Figure Skating is working on starting an emergency fund to help the victims' families.

People in the ice skating community said the crash victims came from the Skating Club of Boston and Ashford Ice House in Virginia near Washington, D.C.

Everyone who spoke with KTVU said they are all one family.

Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU,  Instagram @AmberKTVU  or Twitter @AmberKTVU