How Team USA's Maxim Naumov carried his parents' legacy onto the ice

Milan — When Maxim Naumov stepped onto Olympic ice astatine the 2026 Winter Games successful Milan connected Tuesday, helium wasn't alone.

As the euphony began and the lights reflected disconnected the rink, the 24-year-old American skater was fulfilling a imagination helium shared with his parents, erstwhile Olympic pairs skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. They were some killed past twelvemonth successful the midair collision implicit the Potomac River.

"It was a imagination that each of them had," Susan Hamel-Bottari, a manager astatine the Skating Club of Boston and a adjacent person of the family, told CBS News aft Naumov skated. "He ever says it's not one, it's three."

That imagination played retired astatine the Milano Ice Skating Arena during the men's abbreviated programme contention connected Tuesday. 

Right earlier helium took the ice, connected the jumbotron implicit his head, a connection appeared: "Mom and Dad, this is for you."

Figure skater Maxim Naumov of the U.S. during his abbreviated programme regular astatine the Milano Ice Skating Arena successful the Winter Olympics connected Feb. 10, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty

Naumov past delivered 1 of the strongest skates of his career, earning a people of 85.65, capable to beforehand to the escaped skate circular aboriginal this week.

But the numbers told lone portion of his story.

After finishing his program, helium dropped to his knees and looked up. The assemblage successful the stadium fto their emotions determination retired arsenic well, giving him a lasting ovation.

He aboriginal pulled retired a photograph of himself arsenic a tiny lad and aboriginal Olympian, lasting connected the crystal for the archetypal clip betwixt his parents.

Team USA's Maxim Naumov holds a representation of himself with his parents, aft competing successful the fig skating men's singles abbreviated programme during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 10, 2026. WANG Zhao/AFP

"I didn't cognize if I was going to cry, grin oregon laugh," Naumov said afterward. "All I could bash was look up astatine them. I inactive can't judge what conscionable happened."

Inside his Team USA jacket, helium carried a abbreviated connection — 1 of his father's favourite reminders: "Expect the unexpected."

The past twelvemonth has tested that proposal successful unimaginable ways.

Shishkova and Naumov were among 67 radical killed past twelvemonth erstwhile the rider craft they were connected collided with a subject chopper adjacent Washington, D.C. They were connected their mode location from a skating improvement camp. 

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova are seen competing astatine the Winter Olympics successful Lillehammer, Norway, Feb. 15, 1994. Chris Cole/Allsport/Getty

The calamity devastated their tight-knit skating community, including the Skating Club of Boston, which mislaid respective members.

Hamel-Bottari remembers the daze of that day, and what came after.

"I didn't cognize however to respond to him," she said. "I conscionable told him I would ever beryllium determination for him."

His resilience successful the months since has been inspiring, Hamel-Bottari told CBS News.

"Every time helium would travel to the rink, nary substance what," she said. "No substance what helium was feeling inside, helium showed up. He's mentally tough. He's a fighter."

Naumov leaned into his training, uncovering some refuge and release.

"With each glide and measurement that I made connected the ice, I couldn't assistance but consciousness their presence," helium said. "Almost similar a chess portion connected a chessboard."

Beyond his ain competitory goals, Naumov has besides carried connected with his parents' work. They founded Tomorrow's Champions, a improvement programme astatine the Skating Club of Boston designed to bid young skaters done a rigorous premix of on-ice sessions, off-ice conditioning, gymnastics and ballet.

Even portion grooming for the Olympics, Naumov continued teaching successful the program.

"The kids emotion him," Hamel-Bottari said. "He's precise positive. He learned from the champion — from some of them."

Many of those young skaters were watching arsenic Naumov took to the crystal successful Milan. Some traveled to Italy and held up handmade signs with their handprints and names. Others cheered from home.

"For us, arsenic the Skating Club of Boston family, to spot him and cognize what we went through, it conscionable brings tears to your eyes," Hamel-Bottari said. "Tonight, helium did it."

Naumov has said that helium wasn't focused connected perfection successful his Olympic debut.

"I wanted to spell retired determination and conscionable springiness my bosom out," helium said. "Leave everything retired there. Have nary regrets."

Amid each the inspirational Olympic storylines, Naumov's show stood isolated for reasons acold beyond scores and standings.

In:

• Figure Skating
• Olympics
• Team USA