Sports

Figure skating tribute for plane crash victims: how to watch

A little more than a month after a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, dozens of past and present stars of U.S. Figure Skating will host a two-hour exhibition Sunday to pay tribute to those who died in the crash.

The tribute show, titled ‘Legacy on Ice,’ will feature dozens of the most well-known faces in American figure skating, from 1968 Olympic champion Peggy Fleming to 2022 Olympic champion Nathan Chen.

All proceeds from the exhibition, which runs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET, will benefit the families of the victims who died in the Jan. 29 mid-air collision and the first responders who worked on the scene.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s show:

The purpose behind the ‘Legacy on Ice’ tribute show

U.S. Figure Skating announced earlier this month that it would be hosting ‘Legacy on Ice’ at Capital One Arena in Washington, just a few miles from the site of the Jan. 29 crash over a portion of the Potomac River.

The passenger plane involved in the incident had been returning from Wichita, Kansas, where much of the U.S. figure skating community had recently gathered for the 2025 national championships − and some of the top young figure skaters in the country then remained for a national development camp. Of the 60 passengers on the plane, U.S. Figure Skating later revealed, nearly half were figure skaters, coaches or family members returning home from the camp.

In total, all 67 people aboard the two aircrafts died in the collision, authorities said. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the incident.

U.S. Figure Skating and Monumental Sports, which operates Capital One Arena, have portrayed ‘Legacy on Ice’ as both a chance for the figure skating community to collectively mourn those lost in the crash as well as try to financially support their families through ticket sales and donations.

The clubs, families impacted by the Jan. 29 crash

According to U.S. Figure Skating, 28 members of the figure skating community died in the mid-air collision on Jan. 29 − including 11 skaters, all between the ages of 11 and 16. The victims include:

Franco Aparicio, 14 (Washington Figure Skating Club)
Brielle Beyer, 12 (Skating Club of Northern Virginia)
Jinna Han, 13 (Skating Club of Boston)
Cory Haynos, 15 (Skating Club of Northern Virginia)
Sean Kay, 11 (University of Delaware Figure Skating Club)
Spencer Lane, 16 (Skating Club of Boston)
Alydia Livingston, 11 (Washington Figure Skating Club)
Everly Livingston, 14 (Washington Figure Skating Club)
Olivia Eve Ter, 12 (Ion Figure Skating Club, Leesburg, Virginia)
Angela Yang, 11 (University of Delaware Figure Skating Club)
Edward Zhou, 16 (Skating Club of Northern Virginia)

Four coaches were also on board the fatal flight, including married couple Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, who won the 1994 pairs world championship with Russia.

The skaters and their families represented a handful of figure skating clubs along the East Coast, specifically in the Washington area, Boston and Delaware. 

Olympic stars slated to perform at ‘Legacy on Ice’

Sunday’s exhibition will be co-hosted by 1988 Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano and 1992 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi. It will also feature performances, or appearances, by some of the most recognizable names in the history of the sport, including:

Kitty and Peter Carruthers, 1984 Olympic Pairs Silver Medalists
Nathan Chen, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic Champion
Scott Hamilton, 1984 Olympic Champion
Nancy Kerrigan, 1994 Olympic Silver Medalist
Ilia Malinin, 2024 World Champion

U.S. figure skater Maxim Naumov, the son of Naumov and Shishkova, was also added to the list of participants earlier this week. He had been scheduled to compete in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships after finishing fourth at nationals but withdrew following the Jan. 29 crash.

What time is the ‘Legacy on Ice’ figure skating tribute show?

The exhibition will run from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Sunday at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington.

How to watch ‘Legacy on Ice’

An encore showing of the exhibition will air on NBC at 1 p.m. ET on March 30. 

How to stream ‘Legacy on Ice’

‘Legacy on Ice’ will be broadcast live on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.

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