You’ve probably seen the names Angela Yang and Sean Kay floating around the headlines lately, and honestly, the story is just gut-wrenching. They weren't your average 11-year-olds. While most kids their age were obsessing over Minecraft or TikTok trends, these two were already being hailed as the future of American ice dance. They had this chemistry on the ice that was way beyond their years.
It’s just heavy.
One day they’re standing on top of a podium in Wichita, clutching medals and looking like they’ve got the whole world ahead of them. The next, they’re gone. On January 29, 2025, a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport changed everything for the figure skating community. It wasn't just a news story; it was a total gut punch to the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club where they trained.
Who Were They, Really?
Angela wasn't always an ice dancer. Actually, she started out playing hockey because she wanted to be like her older siblings. Can you imagine? This little kid in bulky pads eventually realized her heart was actually in the artistry of the blades, not the puck. She moved her whole life to Delaware just to chase this dream. People at the rink say she was the type of person who was "on" the second she stepped onto the ice, but off the ice, she was just a sweet kid who loved painting on her iPad and playing video games.
Then you have Sean.
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Sean was basically a natural. He followed his sister into skating and just... took to it. He was the energy in the room. He loved heavy metal music—which is kind of hilarious when you think about the graceful, classical world of ice dance—and he’d play it in the rink whenever he got the chance. He also had this massive obsession with roller coasters and guitars. He wasn't just some "skating robot"; he was a bright, funny kid who dreamed of making the Olympic team one day.
The Partnership That Caught Everyone's Eye
They were the "it" team in the juvenile division. Just two months before the accident, they absolutely crushed it at the 2025 Midwestern Sectional U.S. Ice Dance Final. They took home the top prize. Judges were already talking about them as "the ones to watch."
It’s rare to find two kids who work that well together. Ice dance is all about timing and trust. If one person is off by a millisecond, the whole thing falls apart. But with Angela and Sean, it just clicked. Their coach, Alexandr "Sasha" Kirsanov, was right there with them through it all. Sasha was a legend in his own right, a former pro who had competed for the U.S., Azerbaijan, and Russia. He treated those kids like his own.
The Tragedy Near D.C.
They were coming home from the National Development Camp in Wichita. It was supposed to be a victory lap. The crash didn't just take Angela and Sean; it took Sasha and both of their mothers, Lily Li and Julia Kay.
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In total, 67 people died in that collision. The details are still being parsed out by investigators, but for the skating world, the "how" matters a lot less than the "who" was lost. It was a mass casualty event for the sport. Other skaters from the Skating Club of Boston and the Washington Figure Skating Club were also on that flight. It’s the kind of loss the community hasn’t seen since the 1961 Sabena Flight 548 crash that wiped out the entire U.S. figure skating team.
Honestly, it makes you realize how fragile everything is.
A Community in Mourning
The University of Delaware’s Fred Rust Ice Arena became a place of grief almost overnight. They set up a shrine in the lobby. You’d see young skaters, still in their gear, stopping to look at photos of Angela and Sean laughing together.
Delaware’s Governor Matt Meyer and Senator Chris Coons both spoke out about it, calling it a tragedy that hit the "state of neighbors" right in the heart. But the real weight is felt by people like Natalya Gudin, Sasha’s wife and fellow coach. She was supposed to be on that trip, but they decided only one coach needed to go. She lost her husband, her students, and her friends in a single afternoon.
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Why This Matters for the Future of the Sport
When you lose talent like this, it leaves a literal hole in the sport.
- The Talent Pipeline: Angela and Sean were the blueprint for the next generation of American ice dancers.
- Safety Conversations: The aviation world is under a microscope now, specifically regarding midair coordination near major airports like Reagan National.
- Support Systems: U.S. Figure Skating has had to step up in a huge way to provide mental health support for the survivors and teammates left behind.
What Can We Learn From Their Story?
It’s easy to get caught up in the tragedy, but looking at how Angela Yang and Sean Kay lived is probably more important. They worked harder at age 11 than most adults do in their 30s. They moved states, practiced in the cold at 5 AM, and did it all with smiles on their faces.
Next Steps for the Community:
If you’re moved by their story, consider supporting the U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund. It was created specifically to help skaters after the 1961 tragedy, and it continues to provide grants so that kids like Angela and Sean can pursue their dreams without the crushing weight of travel and training costs.
Also, just take a second to appreciate the people around you. It sounds cliché, but stories like this are a stark reminder that the "next competition" or the "next big goal" isn't guaranteed.
Support local skating clubs. Show up for the youth athletes in your own town. Whether it's ice dance or a local soccer league, these kids are putting in the work to become something great. Angela and Sean did exactly that, and their legacy is going to stay on that ice for a long, long time.