Maxim Naumov is ready to make his 2026 Winter Olympics debut one year after losing his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, in the January 2025 Washington, D.C., plane collision with an Army Blackhawk helicopter.
Before he hits the ice for the men’s short program on Tuesday, February 10, Maxim sat down with NBC Nightly News‘ Tom Llamas to reflect on his figure skating journey and share how he’s continuing his parents’ legacy.
kAm“x’> 8@??2 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 AFE 6G6CJE9:?8 @? E96 =:?6] x H2?E E@ 7:?:D9 E96 AC@8C2> 2?5 D2J[ ‘%96C6’D ?@E9:?8 x =67E @? E96 E23=6[’” |2I:> D92C65 :? 2 AC6C64@C565 :?E6CG:6H 2:C65 @? %F6D52J’D 6A:D@56 @7 k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^D9@H^E@52J\D9@H^Qm%@52Jk^2mk^6>m] “~?6 E9:?8 E92E E96J 2=H2JD E@=5 >6 H2D[ ‘tG6CJE9:?8 :D AC24E:46 F?E:= E96 ~=J>A:4D] %9:D :D 2== E@ 86E C625J 7@C E96 ~=J>A:4D]’”k^Am
kAm|2I:>’D A2C6?ED H6C6 7@C>6C ~=J>A:4 A2:CD D<2E6CD H9@ ?@E23=J H@? 8@=5 2E E96 `hhc (@C=5 u:8FC6 $<2E:?8 r92>A:@?D9:A] %96 A2:C 8@E >2CC:65 :? `hhd 2?5 C6E:C65 7C@> D<2E:?8 E9C66 J62CD =2E6C] tG86?:2 2?5 '25:> H6?E @? E@ DE2CE 2 J@FE9 24256>J 2E E96 $<2E:?8 r=F3 @7 q@DE@? :? |2DD249FD6EED 2?5 H6=4@>65 |2I:> :? a__`]k^Am
kAmtG86?:2 2?5 '25:> H6C6 2>@?8 E96 ef A6@A=6 <:==65 :? E96 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ A=2?6 4C2D9 =2DE J62C] %96 G:4E:>D :?4=F565 D6G6C2= D<2E6CD[ 4@2496D[ 2?5 72>:=J >6>36CD H9@ H6C6 7=J:?8 9@>6 7C@> E96 &]$] u:8FC6 $<2E:?8’D }2E:@?2= s6G6=@A>6?E r2>A 27E6C E96 &]$] u:8FC6 $<2E:?8 r92>A:@?D9:AD :? (:49:E2[ z2?D2D] $:?46 9:D A2C6?ED’ 562E9D[ |2I:> 92D E2<6? @G6C E96:C D<2E:?8 J@FE9 24256>J]k^Am
kAmk:7C2>6 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^6>365^35*fzG!g``*nD:l\t0\87fz><d)ArCzQ H:5E9lQde_Q 96:89ElQb`dQ 7C2>63@C56ClQ_Q 2==@H7F==D4C66?lQ2==@H7F==D4C66?Qmk^:7C2>6mk^Am
kAm“|J A2C6?ED 92G6 2 =@E @7 DEF56?ED[ 2?5 D@[ >J :>>65:2E6 C624E:@? H2D E@ 8@ @? E96 :46 2?5 DE2CE H@C<:?8 H:E9 2== @7 E96>] p?5 E92E C62==J 96=A65 >6[” 96 E@=5 {=2>2D[ 255:?8 E92E 96 2=>@DE 4@?D:56C65 BF:EE:?8 4@>A6E:E:G6 D<2E:?8]k^Am
kAm“x 925 E9@D6 >@>6?ED H96C6 x ;FDE 7C@K6] x 5:5?’E <?@H H92E E@ 5@] x D2:5[ ‘w6J[ E9:D :D DF49 2 4CF4:2= 2?5 A:G@E2= >@>6?E :? >J =:76] x7 2E E9:D >@>6?E x 5@?’E E2<6 @? E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ[ E96? x’== =@@< 324< 7@C6G6C @? E9:D >@>6?E[ 2E >J >@DE GF=?6C23=6[ 2E E96 >@DE :?E6?D6[ 2?5 x <?@H E92E x 5:5 ?@E DE6A FA]’”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 2H2:E:?8 9:D C6DF=ED 2E E96 a_ae &]$] u:8FC6 $<2E:?8 r92>A:@?D9:AD =2DE >@?E9[ |2I:> <:DD65 2 A9@E@ @7 9:>D6=7 2D 2 49:=5 H:E9 9:D A2C6?ED] w6 6?565 E96 4@>A6E:E:@? :? E9:C5 A=246[ D64FC:?8 9:D DA@E @? %62> &$p’D (:?E6C ~=J>A:4D E62>]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E65 E96> E@ 36 :? E96 <:DD 2?5 4CJ H:E9 >6[ E@ =:E6C2==J D92C6 E92E >@>6?E H:E9 >6[ 3642FD6 E96J 56D6CG6 :E] %96J 56D6CG6 E@ 36 E96C6[ C:89E ?6IE E@ >6[” |2I:> D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E E96 A9@E@ H:== D6CG6 2D 2 8@@5 =F4< 492C> 2E E96 ~=J>A:4D]k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FEQmk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\4@?E6?EQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acc_gc^E62>\FD2\7:8FC6\D<2E6CD\a_ae\H:?E6C\@=J>A:4D^Qmk:>8 96:89ElQ`deQ H:5E9lQac_Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_a^p=JD2\{:F\p>36C\v=6??\xD2362F\{6G:E@\x=:2\|2=:?:?\%62>\&$p\7:8FC6\D<2E:?8\a_ae\(:?E6C\~=J>A:4D\`ca_Ifhg];A8Q 2=ElQ%62> &$pUR_bhjD u:8FC6 $<2E6CD 2E a_ae (:?E6C ~=J>A:4Di v6E E@ z?@H E96 r@>A6E:E@CDQ ^mk^2mk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\=236=Qm#6=2E65k^5:Gmk9bmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acc_gc^E62>\FD2\7:8FC6\D<2E6CD\a_ae\H:?E6C\@=J>A:4D^Qm%62> &$pVD u:8FC6 $<2E6CD 2E a_ae (:?E6C ~=J>A:4Di v6E E@ z?@H E96 r@>A6E:E@CDk^2mk^9bmk^5:Gmk^5:Gm
kAm“x7 x 42? 86E 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ D92C6 E96:C =6824J 2?5 H92E E96J >62? E@ >6 2?5 H92E E96J’G6 5@?6 7@C >6[ x’> 8@??2 E2<6 6G6CJ @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 5@ D@[” 96 25565]k^Am
kAmpE E96 6?5 @7 E96:C 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ {=2>2D 2D<65 |2I:>[ “(96? J@F 5:5 >2<6 E96 ~=J>A:4D — :7 x 42? 2D< J@F E9:D BF6DE:@? — 5:5 J@F 92G6 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 J@FC A2C6?EDn” w6 C6A=:65[ “~7 4@FCD6] %96 H@C5D E92E ;FDE <6AE DA:==:?8 @FE :D E92E ‘H6 5:5 :E]’ tG6CJE9:?8 H6 5:5 E@86E96C H2D 2D 2 E62>[ 2?5 x DE:== 766= =:<6 H6 5:5 :E E@86E96C]”k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE EH@ 8C@FAD @7 E96 >6?’D D9@CE AC@8C2> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acbhde^H:?E6C\@=J>A:4D\a_ae\D4965F=6\H66<\EH@^QmH:== 2:Ck^2m @? %F6D52J 2E `aib_ A]>] t% @? &$p }6EH@C<] %96 C6>2:?:?8 E9C66 8C@FAD’ A6C7@C>2?46D H:== 2:C @? }qr 368:??:?8 2E `icd A]>] w:89=:89ED 7C@> E96 >6?’D D9@CE AC@8C2> 4@>A6E:E:@? H:== C6\2:C 5FC:?8 }qr’D !C:>6E:>6 :? |:=2? DE2CE:?8 2E g A]>] t%]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%@52J[ (66<52JD[ f 2]>]^e4[ }qrk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 w625=:?6Dik^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF=mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`accg_d^>2I:>\?2F>@G\C67=64ED\=2E6\A2C6?ED\=6824J\@=J>A:4D\563FE^Qm‘%@52J’i |2I:> }2F>@G #67=64ED @? {2E6 !2C6?ED’ {6824J p9625 @7 a_ae (:?E6C ~=J>A:4D s63FEk^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`acbbeg^E96\8C@FA\492E\E:<E@<\DJ5?6J\;@\C@3:?D@?\:?E6CG:6H^Qm%:<%@< u2G@C:E6 $J5?6J y@ #@3:?D@? %2=<D qC:?8:?8 ‘%96 vC@FA r92E’ E@ %' W'xst~Xk^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`accg_c^E96\AC:46\:D\C:89E\DE\A2EC:4<D\52J\>2C5:\8C2D\6A:D@56D^Qm‘%96 !C:46 xD #:89E’ p??@F?46D }6H %96>65 tA:D@56D U2>Aj p:C s2E6Dk^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`accff`^86?6C2=\9@DA:E2=\DE6G6\3FCE@?\3C62<\;2D@?\>@C82?^Qm$E6G6 qFCE@? %2<:?8 2 qC62< uC@> ‘v6?6C2= w@DA:E2=’k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`accffh^H966=\@7\7@CEF?6\492@E:4\7:?2=\AFKK=6^Qm‘(966= @7 u@CEF?6’ u2?D q=2DE r@?E6DE2?ED 7@C }@E z?@H:?8 #F=6D q67@C6 Seb[___ (:?k^2mk^=:mk^F=m
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.