Maxim Naumov Makes U.S. Olympic Team One Year After Parents' Death
Maxim Naumov, 24, earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Olympic figure skating team one year after his parents died in Washington, D.C. plane collision.
Overview
Maxim Naumov, 24, finished third at U.S. Championships in St. Louis and was selected as one of three men for Team USA's 2026 Olympic figure skating squad.
Naumov's parents, 1994 World pairs champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, died when an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac last January.
At the championships Naumov skated holding a childhood photo with his parents and said he felt their presence while recalling their shared Olympic goal.
Ilia Malinin won his fourth consecutive U.S. title and, alongside Andrew Torgashev and Naumov, will compete in Milan during the February 6-19 Olympic schedule.
Naumov said he nearly quit after the crash but persisted to honor his parents' dream; he arrives in Milan with personal resilience and medal hopes.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this as an inspirational human-interest narrative, using emotive editorial language (e.g., "tragically died," "broke down in tears") and prioritizing sympathetic skating-community voices. Source content includes Naumov’s quoted gratitude ("We did it! God is good") and memories; editorial choices emphasize resilience and legacy over broader context.
Sources (3)
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FAQ
Maxim Naumov’s parents were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, the 1994 world pairs champions in figure skating and later respected coaches in the United States.
Naumov earned the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships in St. Louis, finishing third in the men’s event and securing one of the three U.S. men’s spots for the 2026 Olympics.
Less than a year before his Olympic selection, Naumov’s parents were among 67 people killed when an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.[2]
Naumov will be joined in men’s singles by Ilia Malinin, the four-time U.S. champion, and Andrew Torgashev on the 2026 U.S. Olympic figure skating team in Milan.[2]
Before his Olympic selection, Naumov was the 2020 U.S. junior champion and a three-time U.S. senior pewter medalist (4th place) from 2023 to 2025, with multiple international assignments on the U.S. Figure Skating national team.
History
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