Gymnastics and figure skating unite following plane crash tragedy — Listen to Helen Hu on All Things Gymnastics

This week, much of the gymnastics community is in mourning in solidarity with our Olympic sports compatriots at US Figure Skating. The plane crash Wednesday night between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet approaching Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., killed 67 people. Among them were several skaters in the U.S. developmental program who had been attending a camp in Wichita, Kan., held in conjunction with the national championships from Jan. 20-26, along with some of their family members and coaches.

U.S. Figure Skating posted about the loss:

There were also Russian figure skaters on the flight, including at least two former world champions who became coaches. The International Skating Union released a statement: 

The Skating Club of Boston lost six members in the crash:

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I know this is not specifically related to gymnastics, but the two sports are closely linked, and fans of one often are fans of both. Competitors in each frequently perform in far-flung competitions nationally and internationally, and camps unite young competitors in both sports. It’s absolutely devastating to think of a similarly close community that had just come together for nationals and the developmental camps only to be ripped apart like this. 

USA Gymnastics put this out. I think it speaks for many of us involved in gymnastics this week. 

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Other gym news

Spencer at The Balance Beam Situation has your NCAA schedule and links right here. Don’t worry; he also provided the GIFs.  

College Gym News has leotard rankings. They also have a Judge’s Inquiry column on beam series that I found quite educational. 

GymCastic host Jessica O’Beirne spoke this week about the podcast she founded being used as evidence by both the Americans and the Romanians in the ongoing floor-exercise bronze medal case before the Swiss Supreme Court. Not bad for upstart media! 

Brooklyn Moors was interviewed by the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student newspaper, about her final year in NCAA. 

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Tyler Turner, who was to make her senior debut this year in elite, ruptured her Achilles. 

Five at The IX: Helen Hu on All Things Gymnastics

Check out Missouri senior Helen Hu, recipient of the 2025 season’s first perfect 10 (on beam, her specialty) on All Things Gymnastics. 

Listen here.