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American figure skater Maxim Naumov delivered an emotional performance in his Olympic debut on Tuesday, honoring his late parents who died in a tragic plane crash last year.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the Milan Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday night as Naumov fulfilled a dream he had with his parents, former world pairs champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were among the 67 people killed when a military helicopter collided mid-air on American Airlines Flight 5342 in Washington DC5 in January 2020.
Naumov, 24, was expected to be a long shot to even crack the top 10 at this year’s Olympics, let alone medal. But he put on quite a show that resulted in a full standing ovation when he looked up at the sky and said, “Look what we’ve done,” according to ESPN.
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Maxim Naumov of Team United States reacts after competing in the men’s singles short skating program on day four of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 10, 2026. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
“I didn’t know if I wanted to cry, smile or laugh,” Naumov said after his short program resulted in a score of 85.65 – good for 12th place and qualifying him for the next round.
Naumov skated to “Nocturne No. 20” and he couldn’t have been happier with his performance, knowing his parents were with him in spirit.
FIGURE SKATER MAXIM NAUMOV MAKES US OLYMPIC TEAM ONE YEAR AFTER LOSING BOTH PARENTS IN TRAGIC DC PLANE CRASH
“I’ve been inspired by them since Day 1, ever since we stepped on the ice together,” Naumov, who held an old photo of himself and his parents on the ice together in the kiss-and-cry zone after dedicating his performance to them.
Naumov’s parents were among a contingent of U.S. figure skaters, coaches and family members who tragically died following the crash after leaving a development camp in Wichita, Kansas following the 2025 national championships. Naumov was on an earlier flight.
Maxim Naumov of Team United States competes in the men’s singles short skating program on day four of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 10, 2026. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Three days before he was named to the U.S. Olympic team, Naumov was emotional after skating in their honor at the U.S. championships, holding up the same photo of himself as a 3-year-old boy with his parents on either side of him.
“Sharing the vulnerability with the crowd and feeling their energy back has been something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Naumov told reporters after his skate that cemented his spot on the U.S. team. “That’s what my parents and I — one of our last conversations was about exactly that, and you know, it would mean the world to me to do that. That’s what we’re fighting for.”
When he took the ice, Naumov said getting too technical about his performance wasn’t the thought process.
His effort level was all that mattered – regardless of the outcome.
Maxim Naumov of the United States holds a photo of his parents who died in a plane crash last year after competing in the men’s single short figure skating program at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 10, 2026. Naumov’s parents die on an airline plane, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia, who are escorted by an American Airlines midair. a US Army helicopter in Washington DC on January 29, 2025. (WANG Zhao/AFP)
“I wasn’t thinking about doing anything perfect or anything like that. I wanted to go out there and just give my heart out. Leave everything out there. I have no regrets. And that’s exactly what I felt,” he told ESPN.
Naumov will appear again during the men’s freestyle on Friday night.
