This article recounts how American figure skater Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents in the January 29, 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River, earned a place on the 2026 U.S. Olympic team and reflects on the events and emotions surrounding that tragedy and his path to the Games.
Maxim Naumov placed third at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, securing one of the 16 American spots on the team bound for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. He finished behind Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev, and his result means he will head to Milan-Cortina to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. The achievement comes after an intensely difficult year for Naumov and the American skating community.
Naumov lost both parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, in the mid-air collision over the Potomac River on January 29, 2025. Both were former world champions in pairs figure skating who later coached in the United States at the Skating Club of Boston, and they had been traveling after attending events in Wichita, Kansas. Their deaths shocked the skating world and left a long list of grieving athletes, families, and coaches.
His parents remained in Wichita a few extra days to attend workshops after the competition; on their return trip their flight intersected with a military helicopter on approach to the Washington, D.C., area. The two aircraft collided and crashed into the Potomac River at night, a disaster that killed 67 people, including 28 athletes, coaches, or parents associated with U.S. figure skating. There were no survivors from either aircraft.
“His parents stayed longer to attend a developmental camp. En route home, their American Airlines flight to Washington collided in midair with a military helicopter over Washington’s Potomac River. The crash killed 67 people, 28 of them athletes, coaches or parents connected to U.S. figure skating.”
Investigators have been examining flight paths and procedures to determine how the collision occurred, and preliminary findings suggested the helicopter was flying at too high an altitude for that segment of the airspace. The collision occurred during a nighttime training mission for the helicopter while the airliner was on a standard approach to the airport. The resulting tragedy prompted questions about airspace coordination and safety, and brought a spotlight to how military and civilian traffic share the skies near major airports.
In St. Louis, Naumov skated through obvious grief and fatigue to deliver performances that earned him a podium finish and the Olympic berth. He was photographed holding a childhood picture of himself with his parents, a visible reminder of who has shaped his life and training. After his result he spoke about feeling their presence and wishing they could share the moment with him.
“I thought of them immediately,” Naumov said Sunday, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “I wish they could be here to experience it with me, but I do feel their presence, and they are with me.” Those words resonated with many who have followed his recovery and return to competition after the losses.
Naumov has described a period after the crash when he struggled to even tie his skates, uncertain whether he would return to competition at all. He later reflected on gratitude for being able to compete and on the resilience it took to get back on the ice. His journey has been marked by therapy, training adjustments, and the support of teammates and the broader skating community.
“I came into this competition thinking how grateful I am to even have the ability to compete and the fact that I overcame so, so much,” Naumov told reporters Saturday. “Looking back, even not being able to lace up my skates and not knowing if I was going to compete, let alone skate, what I did [Saturday] — I don’t even have the words, honestly, of just what I had to overcome to be here.”
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships brought together skaters still managing the emotional fallout from the Potomac tragedy, and the national event served as a milestone for those trying to resume careers and find a new normal. For many athletes, performances in St. Louis were not just about scoring points but about honoring lost friends and mentors and proving that the sport can continue amidst heartbreak. The selection of the Olympic team reflected both competitive results and stories of endurance.
The 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina are set to run from February 6 through February 22, with athletes arriving in Italy in the weeks beforehand for final preparations. Naumov and his teammates will head into the Games carrying the memory of those who died along with hopes to compete at their highest level. The skating community continues to process the losses while supporting those who remain on their competitive paths.
Add comment