MILAN — Maxim Naumov made sure to bring the memory of his parents to the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The U.S. figure skater made his Olympic debut Tuesday, Feb. 10 in the men’s short program, fulfilling the lifelong dream of his parents, former skaters Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
Naumov’s parents died in the midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C in January 2025 that killed 67 people. Vadim and Evgenia were among the 28 figure skating coaches, young athletes and parents killed who were returning from a development camp.
After delivering an emotional performance inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena, Naumov held up a picture of his parents in the kiss-and-cry section as he waited to hear his scores. Before a skater begins their program, a message from them is displayed on the Jumbotron inside Milano Ice Skating Arena. His message was, "Mom and Dad, this is for you."
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