Maxim Naumov: Emotional Debut at the Winter Olympics After Losing His Parents

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina has officially begun, among the highlights, the story of Maxim Naumov, the men's singles figure skater from the United States, is a major focus.

His emotional debut at the sport's biggest event on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, was a tribute to his late parents.

Naumov, now 24, stepped onto the ice with a double burden and motivation after the tragedy that claimed the lives of his father and mother in early 2025.

“I had this feeling of calmness and stillness and just confidence,” he told Olympics.com after earning an 85.65 season’s best.

“Today was unlike any other competition day I’ve had before. Usually, I’m a little twitchy and nervous and rushing and my coach is always like, ‘Relax.’

“I was able to actually do that,” he continued. “I didn’t have to put too much energy.”

 

 

 

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Maxim Naumov successfully qualified for the US Olympic team in January 2026 after finishing third at the US Championships.

The much-anticipated moment arrived on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, when he made his Olympic debut in the men's singles short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

He delivered an emotional and technically impressive program set to Chopin's "Nocturne No. 20," scored a season's best score of 85.65 points, placing him in 14th place and securing his place in the free skate.

After his stunning performance, Maxim held up a childhood photo of himself and his parents in the kiss-and-cry area, a gesture that touched many in the audience.

“It felt like I was guided,” he explained.

“That overall calmness and stillness that I had, it was unlike anything I felt before. I leaned into it, I leaned more and more. I felt like I was guided, like a hand on my back pushing me forward… just moving me around from element to element.

“I felt it, felt their presence.”

Maxim Naumov was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on August 1, 2001, and grew up in an environment steeped in figure skating.

His parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, are Russian figure skating legends, World Pairs Champions in 1994 and two-time Olympians.

He won the U.S. juvenile national title in 2013 and the U.S. novice national title in 2017.

His success culminated in his becoming the U.S. junior national champion in 2020 and placing in the top five at the World Junior Championships that same year.

His achievements continued at the senior level, where he won three consecutive US national pewter medals in 2023, 2024, and 2025, before finally winning a US national bronze medal in 2026.

Maxim Naumov's career was marred by a heartbreaking tragedy on January 29, 2025.

His parents, Vadim Naumov (55) and Evgenia Shishkova (52), were killed in a midair collision between American Eagle Flight 5342 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

The accident claimed 67 lives, including more than two dozen members of the figure skating community, including athletes, coaches, and family members.

Vadim and Evgenia were returning home from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, after the US Championships, while Maxim had already left early.

As a tribute, he once performed a figure skating program to his parents' favorite song, "The City That Doesn't Exist" by Igor Kornelyuk.