AFTER ARMY BLACK HAWK COLLISION CLAIMED HIS PARENTS, MAXIM NAUMOV HONORS THEM AT THE OLYMPICS
U.S. figure skater Maxim Naumov isn’t expected to medal when he competes in the men’s free skate in Milan on Feb. 13. But stepping onto Olympic ice without the coaches who guided you since you were five is its own kind of weight. It’s even heavier when those coaches were your parents.
The 24-year-old lost his mother and father just over a year ago. Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were aboard an American Airlines regional flight that collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport.
All 67 people on board both aircraft were killed—a tragedy that shook both the figure skating world and the military community.
The flight from Wichita carried 60 passengers, 28 of whom had ties to the U.S. figure skating community, including skaters, coaches, and family members from the Washington Figure Skating Club and the Skating Club of Boston, where Maxim trains. Many were returning home from a National Development Camp held after the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where Maxim had placed fourth.
In the months that followed, investigators determined that the passenger jet and the Army helicopter crossed paths in restricted airspace during a nighttime training flight. According to the crash investigation, the helicopter crew failed to maintain proper visual separation. Communication breakdowns between air traffic control and military flight operations also contributed. The findings renewed scrutiny over how military training flights are conducted near busy civilian airspace, particularly around Washington.
After the crash, Maxim said he didn’t know if he would ever skate again.
Finding Strength in Community
One of his strongest sources of support came from Army Pvt. Spencer Howe, who trains at the same rink and competes in pairs skating through the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. Howe was with Maxim on Jan. 29, 2025—the two were playing video games when they began receiving frantic text messages about the crash. According to fellow skaters, former roommates, and friends, Howe has described Maxim “like a brother.”
“The one silver lining to this past year has been seeing how everyone has come together, seeing how we’ve been able to grow closer to Max, seeing how we’re supporting one another through our triumphs and through tragedy,” Howe, who plans to become a military chaplain, said in an interview with Boston’s WGBH.
“And so, at the end of the day, we have to always be grateful for what we have and keep moving forward.”
Skating in Their Honor
When Maxim finished his Olympic short program, he clutched a photograph of his parents while waiting for his scores. Vadim and Evgenia had been Olympians themselves, competing for Russia in 1992 and 1994. After retiring from competitive skating in 1998, they moved to the U.S., where Maxim was born three years later.
Skating for Team USA in the Winter Games was a dream he once shared with them. One year after their deaths, he skated in their honor, earning an 86.65, enough for him to advance to the free skate.
For members of the military community watching from home, Maxim’s story feels painfully familiar: sudden loss, unanswered questions, and the quiet resolve to keep moving forward anyway. His parents were taken in a crash tied to a military training mission. Instead of allowing that tragedy to define him, he chose to skate through it, even stepping up to help continue the youth skating development program his parents built.
Whatever happens in the free skate, the result won’t be a full measure of the moment. Some performances are about how you place. This one is all about perseverance.
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BY TEAL YOST
Managing Editor at VeteranLife
Teal Yost is a Navy spouse, journalist, and managing editor of Military Brands, where she leads storytelling that connects and empowers the military community. With more than a decade of experience in military-focused media, her work blends journalistic excellence with a deep personal understanding...
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Teal Yost is a Navy spouse, journalist, and managing editor of Military Brands, where she leads storytelling that connects and empowers the military community. With more than a decade of experience in military-focused media, her work blends journalistic excellence with a deep personal understanding...
