In a poignant moment at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Tuesday, 24-year-old American figure skater Maxim Naumov delivered a touching performance in the men’s singles short program. Paying tribute to his parents who tragically lost their lives in a plane crash a year ago, Naumov wowed the audience with a performance that transcended life and death.
Set to the melancholic melody of Frederic Chopin’s “Nocturne No. 20,” Naumov skated flawlessly, earning his season-high score of 85.65 points. As the final note resonated, the entire audience rose to their feet in applause, and on the arena’s big screen, a moving message appeared: “Mom and Dad, this is for you.”
Naumov knelt on the ice, gazing up at the sky as a gesture of solace to his departed parents. After the competition, he retrieved a photo of himself around 3 years old, wearing ice skates for the first time and holding hands with his parents, which he tenderly kissed. Emotionally, he expressed to the media, “I just wanted them to feel that we truly achieved this dream together.”
According to the Daily Mail, one of Naumov’s last conversations with his parents was about the effort required to compete at the Olympics.
“From day one, from the moment we stepped onto the ice together, I have been inspired by them,” Naumov said. “I could feel their presence, guiding me through every glide and step, like pieces on a chessboard, feeling their guidance.”
Naumov’s parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were the 1994 pairs figure skating world champions. In January 2025, the couple tragically lost their lives in a plane crash near Washington, D.C.
At that time, the American Airlines plane they were on collided with a military helicopter in mid-air, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people on board, including 28 figure skating coaches, parents, and athletes.
According to CBS News, family friends revealed in interviews that after his parents’ passing, Naumov was initially heartbroken and considered giving up skating. However, he ultimately chose to return to the ice. To compete with the strength of his parents, Naumov wore his father’s platinum ring and a gold cross necklace that he received on the day of his baptism.
Inside Naumov’s jacket was embroidered his father’s favorite motto: “Expect the unexpected.” Despite facing adversity, he aims to inspire more athletes in difficulty by sharing his story.
“I will continue to share this story until I lose my voice,” he told USA Today. “Because without them, there would be no me today.”