RECOGNIZING THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING COMMUNITY AND AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 5342

RECOGNIZING THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING COMMUNITY AND AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 5342

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 47 (Monday, March 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 47 (Monday, March 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E216] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING COMMUNITY AND AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 5342 _____ HON. JEFF CRANK of colorado in the house of representatives Monday, March 16, 2026 Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 67 lives that were lost on the tragic flight last year on American Airlines Flight 5342. Amongst the 67 lives lost, 28 of them were members of the U.S. Figure skating community, many of them calling my district of Colorado Springs their training ground. These skaters were some of the brightest in their sport, returning from the U.S. Championships and National Development Team Camp in Wichita, Kansas. They had spent nearly a week with their training mates on the National Development Team, training mates who had built a bond, many over several years, a bond that was extremely close due to the nature of their training. When they said goodbye, they said goodbye knowing that they would soon all meet again in Colorado Springs for another training opportunity. The United States and the international skating community had suffered a great loss, and the surviving members of the United States skating community had suffered a great trauma. When the news of Flight 5342 broke, the skaters on the National Development Team knew exactly who was on that flight. They sent countless group messages begging for responses, but all their responses went unanswered. A tertiary trauma to that of the incident and the survivor's guilt many of them hold. On that flight were Alydia Livingston, Olivia Eve Ter, Everly Livingston, Brielle Beyer, Jinna Han, Cory Haynos, Edward Zhou, Angela Yang, Lily Li, Sean Kay, Spencer Lane, Alexandr Kirsanov, Vadim Naumov, Evgenia Shiskova, Inna Volyanskaya, Peter and Donna Livingston, Luciano Aparicio, Franco Aparicio, Justyna Magdalena Beyer, Jin Hee Han, Roger Haynos, Stephanie Haynos, Julia Kay, Christine Lane, Olesya Taylor, Kaiyan Mao, and Yu Zhou, all members of the U.S. Figure Skating community. They were the United States' world-class coaches, dedicated loving parents, and the next generation of elite Olympian athletes, who we will never forget. I thank Candence Floyd for being a shining light in a moment of tragedy and for helping honor her lost teammates. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in praying for the families and friends of all these lives lost during this tragic flight. ____________________