On the finish of his determine skating efficiency, when the final observe of his dad and mom’ favourite track performed in an enviornment full of spectators and heavy with sorrow, Maxim Naumov dropped to his knees on the middle of the ice. He remained there for what appeared like without end, awash in a highlight, wanting misplaced and sobbing.

And in row after row, part after part, inside Capital One Area on Sunday in downtown Washington, the group of about 15,000 folks climbed to its ft, applauded — and cried with him.

Naumov was one of many skaters featured on the profit Legacy on Ice, held in honor of the 67 people who died on Jan. 29 when an Military helicopter collided with a passenger jet above the Potomac River in Washington. A lot of these victims have been young figure skaters touring residence with their dad and mom and coaches from a growth camp after the U.S. Determine Skating nationals in Wichita, Kan. Each of Naumov’s dad and mom have been killed.

On Sunday, he may need appeared alone kneeling there in the course of the ice. He was removed from it.

Dozens of stars from the game, going again many years, have been with him. Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano, each Olympic gold medalists, performed host. Peggy Fleming, Nancy Kerrigan, Johnny Weir and defending world champion Ilia Malinin have been there, too. Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion, led the group in a prayer.

“I simply needed to come right here to hope as a result of I simply felt so crushed with disappointment,” Hamilton stated in an interview. “Particularly when youngsters are concerned, how else do you discover the power to endure these items on this planet?”

Hamilton had seen Naumov’s dad and mom — Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov — at nationals in January. Skating is a small world. The 1994 pairs world champions have been so pleased to be there, he stated.

Weir, a tv analyst who additionally coaches younger skaters, had retired from performing in 2023, however he donned a black costume and skated to the track “Reminiscence” from the musical “Cats.”

He knew a number of of the coaches who died within the crash. Wanting on the faces of his skating college students every day additionally compelled him to point out his assist.

“Imagining that it may have been their mother or their household on the airplane, it’s simply devastating,” Weir stated in an interview after his efficiency. “I may by no means say that this occasion brings closure, however it reveals the children I work with each day that nice skaters can get torn up about issues and nonetheless present up for others. It’s OK to be unhappy.”

He added, “I believe the second of unity is the best reward we can provide to these folks we misplaced.”

The concept for the occasion began with Ari Zakarian, Malinin’s agent. He was in Wichita for nationals however had flown to Estonia for European Nationals instantly afterward.

He noticed information concerning the crash on social media and tried to name Inna Volyanskaya, a coach within the Washington space who had been in Wichita and brought a selfie with them earlier than they parted, promising to ship it to him. She by no means had the possibility.

“It was like pouring chilly water on me as a result of I simply knew she was on the airplane, and so have been two coaches I knew from Boston,” he stated. “I began considering, ‘What can I do? What can I do? I’ve to do one thing for these folks.’”

He linked with the occasion producer Mike Burg, who then engaged Monumental Sports activities & Leisure in Washington, the corporate that owns the sector, the Capitals and the Wizards. Ted Leonsis, the top of Monumental, was all in.

For Leonsis, the loss felt private. A number of of the skaters who died had skilled on the Capitals follow rink in Northern Virginia.

Ticket proceeds from the sold-out occasion will go to the households of the victims, the skating communities affected and the emergency staff within the Washington space, a whole lot of whom attended on Sunday.

“I wish to make sure that each household that has youngsters and was left with out a mother or father, or each dad and mom, goes to be OK,” he stated. “There’s school and different bills. So we’ve bought to lift some huge cash.”

Each skater Zakarian requested to take part in this system stated sure. They needed to point out their assist. And mourn. And assist folks heal.

Ashley Cain and Gracie Gold, two Olympians, have been coaches on the developmental camp and skated in tears.

“Each time I step on the ice, I’m fascinated with them and skating for them,” Cain stated of her former college students. “Considered one of my final moments with them was them having enjoyable and dancing on the ice, and letting down their partitions to point out us who they actually have been. I’ll always remember that.”

Flying into Washington for the occasion, Jason Brown, a two-time Olympian, stated he thought of what the skaters felt as their airplane approached the airport in late January. Giddiness after the camp, maybe. Pleasure about returning to the rink to coach. Hope that they’d see their skater associates quickly.

“Journey is such an enormous a part of what we do, so all of it hit us actually onerous,” Brown stated. He stated his grandfather advised him that when folks come collectively to have a good time victories, these successes double, and after they share losses, tragedies or grief, these unhappy moments are lower in half.

Backstage, practically all of the skaters have been in tears, together with younger ones from native rinks who had been invited to carry out as a result of they have been teammates, household or associates of the victims.

Isabella Aparicio carried out to a recording of her father taking part in Pachelbel’s Canon in D and buried her face in her arms when she was accomplished. Her father, Luciano, and her 14-year-old brother, Franco, have been on the airplane that crashed.

Within the stands, teams of individuals wore pink in honor of 12-year-old Brielle Beyer, who died within the midair collision. Her funeral is on Monday.

Prior to now few weeks, scores of oldsters have introduced their youngsters to funerals and memorial companies for his or her friends. “That’s not within the mother or father handbook,” a type of moms stated. Jenn Rafael’s 11-year-old son, Jesse, was good associates with Brielle, and the mom was near Brielle’s mom, Justyna.

“What’s useful is for them to skate and make movies about their associates,” Rafael stated. “And remedy canine. Remedy canine have gotten us by this.”

Canine poised to supply supportive snuggles have been posted all through the sector on Sunday, together with close to the tunnel resulting in the ice. Minutes earlier than his efficiency, Naumov squatted all the way down to rub the stomach of a cuddly blond Norwegian Buhund named Ghost, in silence.

Earlier than Naumov headed out to carry out to the Russian track, “The Metropolis That Doesn’t Exist,” certainly one of his teammates from the Skating Club of Boston, Jimmy Ma, gave him an prolonged hug.

“Let’s do that!” Ma stated as they parted, each of them wiping tears.