Maxim Naumov to Compete in Winter Olympics
A year after losing his parents, former figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, in a plane crash, 24-year-old Maxim Naumov has been chosen to represent the U.S. at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan.
His parents, who were Olympic athletes and world pairs champions in 1994, tragically perished in January 2024 during a collision involving an American Airlines plane and a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. They were among 67 fatalities.
Naumov secured third place at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis last weekend. In an emotional moment on Thursday, he held a photo of his parents, kissing it while he awaited his score.
“We did it,” Naumov expressed after finding out he made the Olympic team, saying, “We absolutely nailed it.”
Naumov’s parents were part of a larger group connected to the figure skating community returning from the Nashville Figure Skating Championships at the time of the accident. After finishing fourth in the competition, he recalled an early conversation he had with his parents, who coached at the Boston Skating Club, about aiming for the 2026 Olympics.
He gave a poignant performance at a benefit for the crash victims near Ronald Reagan International Airport, moving many as he fell to his knees in tears.
During an appearance on the “Today” show, Naumov shared the heartbreak surrounding the tragedy, recalling his last request for them to pick him up from the airport. He described his parents as “beautiful people” and “incredibly kind.”
“The only way out is through,” he said, emphasizing his determination to keep going despite the challenges. “I have no choice but to keep going.”
Next month in Milan, he will compete alongside fellow U.S. figure skaters Ilya Marinin and Andrew Tolgashev.
Reflecting on his return to competition, Naumov remarked, “The important thing is resilience. I think when you’re under really difficult emotional stress, you push yourself a little more and wonder, ‘What if? What if I could do it despite everything?’”
“That’s where you find strength and where you grow as a person.”
