10 Photos of Maxim Naumov: The Figure Skater Suddenly in the Spotlight

Maxim Naumov was destined for the rink from his earliest days. Born to 1990s figure skater legends and Olympic competitors Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, Maxim naturally developed a passion for the sport. He was coached closely by his parents, who both died in a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C. in January 2025—an accident Maxim had narrowly avoided when he made the decision to fly home earlier than scheduled. The accident took the lives of 67 people.

Despite grief, Maxim used the sport to honour his parents' memory. Since their death, Maxim has given stellar performances in figure skating, eventually earning him a spot in the United States Olympic team for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, fulfilling a dream he created with his parents.

Here are 10 photos showing the love, legacy, and resilience Maxim Naumov has shown.

Maxim Naumov was born on 1 August 2001 in Hartford, Connecticut to 1994 World Champions in pairs Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.

From age five, Maxim has been on the rink, his parents as inspiration. He told NBC Sports in January 2026 after securing a spot in the Olympics team, 'It means so much in our family, and it's what I've been thinking about since I've been five years old, before I even knew how to think or what to think,' as shared by People.

Maxim's parents were aboard the American Eagle Flight 5342, which was involved in the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. They were among the 67 passengers who died in the accident. Before their flight took off, Maxim shared receiving a phone call from his mother, who informed him of their flight change.

Before his Olympic debut, Maxim earned the 4th spot in the 2025 US Figure Skating Championships.

In an interview, Maxim told the press that he would 'tune everything out' when he is on ice, 'And I'm just talking with them, and they're helping me.'

After his routine in the men's single figure skating short program Tuesday night, Maxim Naumov fell on his knees, looked up, and said, 'Look what we just did,' talking to his late parents and dedicating his performance to them, per NBC News.

Maxim Naumov posted a qualifying score of 85.65. His score prompted the Milano Figure Skating Arena to give him a standing ovation. His American teammate, Torgashev, posted an 88.94 score, Ilia Malinin ended with an outstanding score of 108.16.

In 2020, Maxim bagged the US Junior National Champion award. The same year, he took 5th place in the World Junior Championships. He is also a three‑time US National Pewter Medalist for 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Maxim dominated the Junior Men's division at the 2020 Toyota US Figure Skating Championships with a total score of 206.92 points, finishing first among junior competitors.

Maxim shared with the media that his dad always told him that 'always, at every competition, at every hard turn, there's always going to be things that are thrown at you in life. However big, however small, you gotta expect the unexpected and continue to move forward no matter what. And that's exactly what we did the entire season — my entire 19 years of skating, all to this moment.'