Olympic gold medalist says DC plane crash hits home as an athlete: 'That could have been me'

The level clang adjacent Reagan Washington National Airport connected Wednesday nighttime struck the sports satellite erstwhile it was revealed that members of the figure skating community were among those connected the American Airlines flight.

Six members of the Skating Club of Boston were aboard Flight 5342, and U.S. Figure Skating said successful a connection that "several members of our skating community" were connected the plane.

The commercialized pitchy collided with an Army helicopter, resulting successful the presumed deaths of each 67 radical connected committee the 2 craft combined.

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Rescuers acceptable retired aft a rider pitchy collided with an Army chopper astatine Reagan Washington National Airport connected Wednesday. (AP) (Associated Press)

After proceeding that the formation carried athletes, perchance those with Olympic dreams, golden medal changeable putter Ryan Crouser said the quality deed person to home.

"It's truly hard to benignant of process. As an jock you walk a batch of clip traveling and getting connected planes," Crouser said successful a caller interrogation with Fox News Digital. "It’s a truly hard time, I think, close present conscionable arsenic a country, and arsenic an jock arsenic well, conscionable reasoning about, ‘Shoot, that could person been me.’"

Ryan Crouser of Team USA competes during the men's changeable enactment last connected time 8 of the Olympic Games Paris astatine Stade de France connected Aug. 3, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

SKATING BROADCASTERS TARA LIPINSKI, JOHNNY WEIR EMOTIONAL DISCUSSING 'UNIMAGINABLE' LOSS FROM PLANE CRASH

For the three-time golden medalist, it was different reminder to not instrumentality what helium has for granted.

"My bosom goes retired to the families, and if thing else, conscionable to beryllium thankful for each day. You person truthful galore large opportunities up of you, but you don't cognize erstwhile that tin beryllium taken away, and successful a brainsick mishap similar that, decidedly a pugnacious time, and my bosom goes retired to the families."

First responders switched to betterment efforts connected the Potomac River aft it was believed that determination were nary survivors. There were 60 passengers and 4 unit members aboard the American Airlines formation and 3 soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

FBI agents basal adjacent debris connected Thursday aft American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk chopper portion approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River the erstwhile night. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

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Two erstwhile Olympians, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were besides believed to beryllium among the victims of the crash, the Kremlin confirmed. 

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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