A Winter Olympics athlete honored his parents a year after their tragic passing in an air collision involving an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter.
Maxim Naumov, a figure skater, is competing for the United States at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games. His participation comes a year after the untimely demise of his parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
The couple lost their lives in a mid-air collision involving an American Airlines flight. The incident took place when American Airlines Flight 5342, which had left Wichita, Kansas, was en route to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on January 29, 2025.
The crash resulted in the loss of all 64 passengers on the plane and the three individuals aboard the helicopter. The collision occurred approximately 300 feet above the Potomac River, leaving no survivors.
Both Vadim and Evgenia had their own history as figure skaters, representing Russia in the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics.
Maxim shared his feelings with NBC Sports in January, upon learning of his qualification for the team: “It means so much in our family, and it’s what I’ve been thinking about since I’ve been 5 years old, before I even knew how to think or what to think.
“So, I can’t even say in words how much this means to me.”
Reflecting on what his parents might have thought, he said: “They’d say, ‘We’re proud of you, but [the] job’s not finished. We’re just getting started.’”
During this year’s Winter Olympics, Maxim paid homage to his parents in a heartfelt way. As he awaited his scores, he held up a photograph of himself with his parents and kissed it.
A message was displayed on the Jumbotron, reading: “Mom and Dad, this is for you.”
Maxim achieved his best score of the season, an 86.65.
“I’ve been inspired by them since day one, ever since we stepped on the ice together,” he expressed.
“It’s not necessarily thinking about them specifically, but their presence. Feeling their presence. With every glide and step that I made on the ice, I couldn’t help but feel their support, almost like a chess piece on a chessboard.
“… I didn’t know if I was going to cry, smile or laugh. All I could do was look up at them. And man, I still can’t believe what just happened. I think it’s going to take me a few hours or maybe a few weeks to know.”