ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JANUARY 10: Maxim Naumov holds a photograph of his parents in the kiss & cry after competing in the Championship Men Free Skating during the 2026 United States Figure Skating Championships at Enterprise Center on January …
WASHINGTON, D.C. - American figure skater Maxim Naumov was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Games, fulfilling a dream shared with his late parents nearly one year after they were killed in a tragic Washington, D.C. plane collision.
A family's shared dream
What we know:
Naumov secured his place on the U.S. Olympic figure skating team following his performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, marking the first Olympic berth of his career.
Naumov’s parents, Evgenia "Zhenya" Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were world-renowned figure skaters who won the 1994 World Figure Skating pairs championship before becoming coaches. Both were killed in a plane crash near Washington, D.C. in January 2025.
The loss devastated Naumov personally and professionally, as his parents had guided his skating career since childhood.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 16: Maxim Naumov competes in the men's short program during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Orleans Arena on January 16, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Skating through grief
Fox News reported that Naumov openly questioned whether he would continue skating in the months after his parents’ deaths, describing the emotional toll of returning to the ice without them.
Despite that, Naumov said he felt compelled to keep going, not only for himself, but to honor his parents’ legacy in the sport they loved.
During the national championships, Naumov delivered a performance that resonated deeply with fans and fellow skaters, helping earn him a spot on the Olympic roster.
Looking ahead
Naumov will represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, turning a year marked by profound loss into one of the most significant achievements of his career.
He told Fox News that making the Olympic team is something he knows his parents would have been proud of.
Among the men’s picks are Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev, alongside Naumov, giving the U.S. a strong lineup for the Olympics. The women’s team features Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito and Alysa Liu, while pairs and ice dance entries round out the roster.
U.S. Figure Skating said the Olympic team was selected following strong performances at nationals, which serve as the final qualifying event before the Winter Games.
RELATED: NJ figure skater qualifies for US Winter Olympic team
Career accomplishments
Naumov has built a long résumé in U.S. figure skating, rising through the junior and senior ranks over more than a decade.
- U.S. pewter medalist: 2023, 2024, 2025
- U.S. junior champion: 2020
- U.S. junior bronze medalist: 2018
- U.S. novice champion: 2017
- U.S. novice bronze medalist: 2016
- U.S. juvenile champion: 2013
The Source: This article is based on reporting from Fox News, U.S. Figure Skating, and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.