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March 20, 2026
On January 29, 2025, 67 people were killed in a fatal aviation collision, including multiple members of the figure skating community—figure skating world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, as well as teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane.
As athletes, coaches, and families were flying home from the National Development Camp for figure skating held in Wichita, Kansas, American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River, marking the deadliest commercial aviation accident the United States has seen in more than 20 years.
In response to the tragic loss of such incredible athletes, the figure skating community around the world expressed its condolences. In particular, the US figure skating community is a very tight-knit group, and many skaters went on to dedicate performances and programs to commemorating and fundraising for those impacted by the accident.
That day, the world lost athletes possessing remarkable artistry, but Maxim Naumov lost his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
A year after this tragedy, Naumov stepped onto Olympic ice to pay tribute to his parents while carving his own path in the wake of their legacy (as twice Olympians and 1994 figure skating world champions).
After Naumov won bronze at the US national championships, he earned a spot on Team USA, going on to perform to “In Your Shirt” by The Irrepressibles for his free skate program. The performance not only brought tears to the eyes of the audience, but also to Naumov himself. As he grips an old photograph of him skating with his parents when he was a child, Naumov receives his placement of 20th overall in his Olympic debut.
“I keep coming back to how difficult this year was, and how much I had to go through to be there and hitting that last pose,” Naumov reflected. “I wasn’t thinking about how hard the [required] elements were, or some mistakes I made. The journey meant the most to me, and I felt it through both my performances.”
Apart from his competitive figure skating career, Naumov also started a GoFundMe in January titled “Building Stronger Minds for Young Athletes” to help launch a nonprofit supporting mental health.
This year’s 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics brought so many phenomenal and fresh performances to the world, but in my mind, what’s just as valuable, if not more, are the moving and incredibly human backstories that have come with it. We saw the debut of American figure skater Alysa Liu, fresh out of retirement—a story of passion and living for oneself. Naumov’s story is one of grief, resilience, and hope.
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