Maxim Naumov earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Olympic figure skating team on Sunday, less than a year after his parents were killed in a plane crash in Washington, D.C.
The 24-year-old figure skater finished third at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, securing one of three men’s singles positions on the Olympic roster for the Milan Games next month.
Naumov’s selection came after he delivered a determined free skate performance on Saturday, moving up from fourth place despite landing only one quadruple jump instead of the two his late father had encouraged him to attempt.
A Tragedy That Changed Everything
Naumov’s parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were among 67 people killed when American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army helicopter on Jan. 29, 2025, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The couple, who were 1994 World Figure Skating pairs champions for Russia, had been returning from Wichita, Kansas, where they watched their son compete at the 2025 U.S. Championships. The crash claimed 28 lives connected to U.S. figure skating, including athletes, coaches, and family members.
During the announcement at Enterprise Center, Naumov wore his new white U.S. figure skating jacket and said, “We did it. We absolutely did it,” crediting his parents for helping him reach his goal. He clutched both hands to his heart, hugged himself, and pointed to the “USA” on his back. The dream of making the Olympic team was one of the last conversations Naumov had with his parents.
Guided by Their Final Words
In a 45-minute phone call before their deaths, Vadim outlined their training plan for the season, emphasizing the need for consistency, strength, and resilience, NBC Olympics reported. Those words became Naumov’s guiding principle throughout the year as he continued training while also taking over leadership of the Skating Club of Boston’s Youth Academy Program, which his parents founded.
Naumov competed at the championships carrying an old photograph of himself at age three with his parents, stepping onto the ice for the first time. When asked about returning to competition after such a tragedy, he said he clung to resilience as his mentality, questioning, “What if I can do it?” despite everything that happened.
The U.S. figure skating team includes 16 athletes and is considered one of the country’s strongest rosters in decades. Naumov joins reigning champion Ilia Malinin and silver medalist Andrew Torgashev on the men’s team. The Olympic figure skating events begin Feb. 6 in Milan, as per The BBC.
Originally published on parentherald.com
