A Tribute to the 1961 US World Team

Attached is a link to a moving website dedicated in memory to the 1961 United States World Figure Skating Team - all of whom perished in a tragic airplane crash enroute to the 1961 World Championships, which were to have been held in Prague. Aside from the 18 members of the US team, numerous coaches, family members, and friends lost their lives - along with the crew and other passengers.

The ISU cancelled the Worlds that year as a sign of mourning for the lost American figure skating team.

In a statement issued from the White House, President John F. Kennedy said, "This disaster has brought tragedy to many American families, and it is a painful loss to the international community of sports as well. Our country has sustained a great loss of talent and grace that had brought pleasure to people all over the world."

May these wonderful young skaters - the best and the brightest of their generation in the US - rest in peace.

http://www.vesperis.com/skate/1961/

Awww. Of course I wasn't even born then, but I had heard about the disaster of course. Going through that site got me all choked up, and I don't even know who most of the people are. Just so sad. There memory will live on long after them though, that's for sure.

Peggy Fleming was 12 years old and training in southern California when the 1961 US team was killed in the plane crash. Her coach was one of the victims. She said, years later, that she lost all of the role models in her skating life, as her coach and the top skaters who were on the team who trained at her rink were also lost.

Evy Scotvold, Nancy Kerrigan's coach, is quoted as saying, "The loss of the US team was like the day President Kennedy was shot. It stopped everything."

Canadian skater Don Jackson had been scheduled to fly with the American team to the Worlds, but he postponed his flight because he was sick with the flu. He stayed home and stayed alive.