Maxim Naumov’s inspiring performance US Figure Skating Championships
Maxim Naumov shares how he prepared for his emotional short program performance in St. Louis after losing his parents in a tragic plane crash last year.
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MILAN — After Maxim Naumov finished fourth in the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships for the third year in a row, his father Vadim wanted to come up with a strategy.
Vadim and Maxim’s mother, Evgenia Shishkova, a two-time Olympic pairs skater who represented Russia, knew next year was a big year for Maxim, with the 2026 Winter Olympics just around the corner.
The patriarch made plans for the rest of the season. It’s time to change your mindset and approach. Increase consistency and increase resilience. He explained in detail what they were going to do, how they would do it, and when it would happen. It was an emotional and productive 45 minute conversation.
It ended up being one of the last conversations they had together.
Days later, Vadim and Shishkova were among 67 people killed in a mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. They were among figure skating coaches, young athletes, and 28 parents returning from a training camp. It was an unimaginable tragedy, and Naumov didn’t know if he would ever be able to skate again.
“At that moment, all I wanted to do was basically lie in bed or on the couch and just rot,” Naumov said.
he thought about what to do. After a few months, he decided to return to the ice. He had hoped to play in the 2025-26 season.
His main support system and coach were gone and he had to start from scratch. How can we overcome such a sense of loss?
He remembered his father’s words. “Have the strength to bounce back.”
Naumov continued. He is currently representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics. After a whirlwind year, the 24-year-old from Norwood, Massachusetts, will be living in Milan Cortina, fulfilling a family dream that began when he was 5 years old. He carries the memories, love, and guidance of his parents with him on his journey.
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Naumov did not compete until eight months after the crash. He finished 9th in the 2025 Copa Lombardy event and had the same position at the French Grand Prix. He then received a big boost by winning the 2025 Ice Challenge and taking first place at the senior level for the first time in his career.
It gave him the confidence to go into the 2026 U.S. Championships with a spot in the Olympics on the line. Ilya Marinin was already considered to be on the national team, and Naumov was considered for one of the final two events, but was not the favorite.
Everyone at the national convention knew his story and wanted him to succeed. That’s why there was a roaring cheer when he took to the ice to warm up for his short program. He gave a moving performance that night. And while he admitted it wasn’t perfect, it was pretty and Naumov earned a standing ovation.
When he got off the ice, he held up a photo of himself at about 3 years old, holding hands with his mom and dad, the first time he put on his skates and stood on the ice. She kissed the photo and broke down in tears when she received the provisional first place score.
“I really wanted them to be part of Kiss and Cry,” he said. “So it’s a very important moment.”
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He ended up taking fourth place heading into the free skate, giving him a chance to not only finish in the top three but also make the Olympic team.
Naumov brought many photos of his parents to the national competition, and the night before the free skate, he picked one up and sat with it in his chair for nearly 20 minutes. It was a heart-to-heart moment with his parents before the biggest night of his life.
“It’s not like, ‘Look how far we’ve come, look at what we’ve done, look at all the sacrifices we’ve made.'” Everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve planned is coming true, and tomorrow is the day we accomplish it, he said. “It was an emotional night for me.”
Naumov needed a strong performance in the free skate. Although he did what he needed to do, there were three skaters left and he fell short of Andrew Trogashev. Then everything unraveled for the others. Jason Brown, who was thought to be the favorite to win the Olympics, had a disastrous result that ruined his chances. Second place Tomoki Hiwatari struggled. Naumov was guaranteed a top-three finish, but his dream was just hours away.
“I needed some time to myself. I took a step back and just sobbed. I cried like my eyes were peeled out,” he said.
He felt he had done everything he could to qualify for the Olympics, and it paid off, with Naumov making the squad along with Marinin and Tolgashev.
This year, the U.S. Figure Skating Association directly informed skaters of their place on the Olympic team, so the joy was even greater when USFS Chief Performance Officer Justin Dillon was the one to deliver the news.
“I know that for Max, this was a year where he really worked towards making that dream a reality,” Dillon said. “There are going to be a lot of memories about the selection of the people that were selected for the team.”
Father of late figure skater remembers her achievements one year later
Andy Beyer, whose 12-year-old daughter Brielle and wife died on Flight 5342 a year ago, remembers the impact his daughter had on his life and the lives of others.
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Telling stories “until I literally can’t tell anymore”
Naumov brought back to Milan many memories with his parents. He said he tries to allocate 30 minutes to an hour each week to have some space and reconnect. It has been exactly over a year since Naumov was on the ice for the short program on February 10th and the free skate on February 12th.
Now on the world stage, Naumov knows he will be asked many times about his parents. It can be annoying or upsetting to talk about it too much. It can be painful to have to relive and remember what happened. But this is not the case with Naumov.
Yes, there are some parts that are difficult to talk about. But in the end, Naumov considers it a privilege. He wants people to be moved by his story, and he plans to share it until he can’t anymore.
“It’s such a blessing to have the opportunity to share this story…It has to be like my voice comes out until I literally can’t speak any more,” he said. “My intention is to share it as much as possible, because not only do they deserve all the praise and recognition, but the fact that I wouldn’t be here without them. It’s also about being an inspiration to other athletes and other people in general.”
Naumov’s programs are emotional and will touch the hearts of his audience. As Tolgashev said, you can see Naumov “fighting for everything, just putting blood, sweat and tears into every performance, giving it his all.”
The year started with loss and ended with parents living the dream they wanted for their son. And it all started with my last conversation with my mom and dad.
“All the sacrifices, time and dedication my parents and I put into this dream,” Naumov said. “We really, really pulled it off together.”
Audrey Weisiger talks about the skaters of Flight 5342
Olympic figure skating coach Audrey Weissiger spoke to Christine Brennan at Milan Magic about the children who lost their lives on Flight 5342 last year.
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