Ice Skater Breaks Silence, Reveals Painful Detail About Tragic Flight That Killed His Parents [WATCH]

Maxim Naumov, a promising 23-year-old figure skater, is living through the kind of pain no one should have to endure.

On January 29, his world collapsed when both of his parents—renowned skating coaches and former Olympians Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov—were killed in a mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.

In a twist that adds an even more tragic layer, Naumov revealed that his parents were not originally booked on American Airlines Flight 5342, as reported by The New York Post.

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They made a last-minute decision to change flights while returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championship and training camp in Wichita, Kansas.

Naumov shared in an emotional sit-down with NBC’s Craig Melvin:

“My mom let me know that they’re switching flights and that if I could pick them up. My mom always texts me and calls me as soon as they land.”

That call never came.

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The plane, carrying 64 people, including the elder Naumov and Shishkova, collided with a military helicopter in an avoidable tragedy that’s now under intense investigation.

The debris scattered across the Potomac, leaving officials and first responders to recover wreckage from one of the deadliest recent aviation incidents on American soil.

Image Credit: Jarek Kilian – Shutterstock.com

Maxim was also in Wichita for the championship but had left days before the accident. The news hit hard, but the young skater has chosen to honor his parents the best way he knows how—on the ice.

Earlier this month, he delivered a raw, heart-wrenching performance in front of 15,000 fans. The routine ended with him collapsing to his knees, overwhelmed with emotion.

“I skated truly like from my heart, genuinely,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about the steps, I wasn’t thinking about the jumps or the spins or anything like that, just let my body go and I never felt that before.”

His parents weren’t just coaches—they were icons. After competing in the Olympics and winning the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship in pairs, they eventually settled in the U.S. and became beloved coaches at the Skating Club of Boston.

“They were beautiful, kind people.”

In a moment no son should ever have to recall, he remembered his mother’s final words:

“Hey, I just want you to know that we love you and we’re proud of you.”

GRIEF JOURNEY
“The only way out is through. I don’t have the strength or the passion or the drive, or the dedication of one person anymore. It’s three people.” -Maxim Naumov

His parents #skating champs Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov died Jan 29 in Washington DC #planecrash pic.twitter.com/aO0q39pv4a

— The Last Show- Karen Lee (@thelastshow) March 28, 2025

Now, Maxim carries the weight of that pride with every stride he takes on the ice.

“The only way out is through. There’s no other way. I don’t have the strength or the passion or the drive, or the dedication of one person anymore. It’s three people.”

It’s a sobering reminder that life can change in an instant—and sometimes, the ones left behind have to dig deep to honor the legacies of those they loved.

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