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SARAH BEN AND ERIKA. AFTER HIS PARENTS DEATH, MAX SAYS THAT HE WASN’T SURE HE WOULD EVER EVEN SKATE AGAIN, AND NOW HE IS PREPARING FOR THE OLYMPICS. DONNING A NEW JACKET, MAKSIM NAUMOV HITS THE ICE FOR PRACTICE, HIS FIRST SINCE JOINING TEAM USA. I CAN’T EXPLAIN TO YOU IN WORDS HOW EXCITED I AM. THE 24 YEAR OLD IS HEADING TO THE OLYMPICS AFTER PLACING THIRD AT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS LAST WEEK, AN ACHIEVEMENT WITH SPECIAL MEANING AFTER LOSING HIS PARENTS ONE YEAR AGO. NAUMOV HELD THEIR PHOTO AS HE WAITED FOR SCORES. I REALLY WANTED THEM TO BE THERE WITH ME AS I HEAR THE SCORES, AS I REALIZE WHAT’S HAPPENING AND SUCH A CRUCIAL MOMENT IN MY LIFE. HIS PARENTS, SKATING CHAMPIONS AND COACHES AT THE SKATING CLUB OF BOSTON WERE AMONG THE VICTIMS OF THE DC PLANE CRASH. TWO YOUNG SKATERS WITH THE CLUB WERE ALSO KILLED. IN THE VERY BEGINNING, I DIDN’T KNOW THAT I WAS IF I WAS EVER GOING TO SKATE AGAIN. NAUMOV SAYS. HE VOWED TO BE RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF GRIEF. I CAN’T DESCRIBE HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS IN THE VERY BEGINNING AND THROUGH MONTH AFTER MONTH OF JUST REALLY, REALLY TRYING MY HARDEST. TO KEEP A POSITIVE MINDSET. THANKFULLY, SKATING BECAME A TOOL THAT ACTUALLY HELPED ME OVERCOME ALL OF THAT. A SKILL MADE STRONGER BY ADVERSITY THAT MAKSIM NAUMOV WILL NOW SHARE WITH THE WORLD IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. TWO OTHERS WITH THE CLUB WILL ALSO BE JOINING TEAM USA, EMILY CHAN AND SPENCER HOWE, WHO SAY THAT THE TRAGEDY BROUGHT EVERYONE CLOSER TOGETHER. LI
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Figure skater Maxim Naumov, who lost parents in DC plane crash, makes Olympics debut
Figure skater Maxim Naumov, whose parents died in the plane crash outside Washington, D.C., last year, has made his Olympic debut.Naumov, who trains at The Skating Club of Boston, took the ice Tuesday in the men’s figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy. He held a photo of his parents as he waited for his scores. He was the second of 29 skaters scheduled to compete, and he earned a score of 86.65.Naumov’s parents were two of 67 people killed in a January 2025 midair plane crash over the Potomac River.Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were coaches at the Skating Club of Boston and died along with other members, including two skaters and their mothers. Naumov has said that after his parents’ deaths, he didn’t know if he would skate again — but vowed to be resilient in the face of grief. Naumov said it is a dream come true to skate for Team USA, which he described as an honor.
Figure skater Maxim Naumov, whose parents died in the plane crash outside Washington, D.C., last year, has made his Olympic debut.
Naumov, who trains at The Skating Club of Boston, took the ice Tuesday in the men’s figure skating short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy.
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He held a photo of his parents as he waited for his scores. He was the second of 29 skaters scheduled to compete, and he earned a score of 86.65.
Naumov’s parents were two of 67 people killed in a January 2025 midair plane crash over the Potomac River.
Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were coaches at the Skating Club of Boston and died along with other members, including two skaters and their mothers.
Naumov has said that after his parents’ deaths, he didn’t know if he would skate again — but vowed to be resilient in the face of grief.
Naumov said it is a dream come true to skate for Team USA, which he described as an honor.
