Maxim Naumov's Parents: What to Know About the Coaches Who Died in the 2025 Figure Skating Plane Crash

Olympic figure skater Maxim Naumov's parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, represented Russia in the Olympics twice in the 1990s

NEED TO KNOW

• Olympic figure skater was born to his parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, in 2001
• His parents were world champions in pairs skating before immigrating to the U.S. in 1998
• Vadim and Evgenia tragically died in a January 2025 plane crash along with 62 other passengers

Maxim Naumov has followed in his parents Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova’s Olympic footsteps.

The acclaimed figure skater is representing the U.S. at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games. He’s taking the ice in Italy more than two decades after his parents, medal-winning figure skaters who competed as a pair, represented Russia in the 1992 and 1994 Olympics, and one year after their deaths.

Vadim and Evgenia were two of 64 passengers aboard American Airlines flight 5342, which collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter above Washington, D.C. on Jan. 29, 2025. There were no survivors of the tragic accident.

Now, Maxim is making their collective dreams come true as he competes in Milan.

“It means so much in our family, and it’s what I’ve been thinking about since I’ve been 5 years old, before I even knew how to think or what to think," Maxim told an NBC Sports host in January 2026 after securing his spot on the team. "So, I can’t even say in words how much this means to me."

Asked what his parents would think about his accomplishment, Maxim replied, “They’d say, ‘We’re proud of you, but [the] job’s not finished. We’re just getting started.’ “

Here’s everything to know about Maxim Naumov’s late parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.

They were born in Russia and joined forces on the ice in the ‘80s

Evgenia and Vadim were born in what is now St. Petersburg, Russia, according to an obituary published by the International Skating Union.

Their professional pairs career began in earnest when they teamed up in 1985. Per the obituary, they were renowned “for their classical style, impeccable technique and artistic expression.”

Evgenia and Vadim were gold medalists in the World Figure Skating Championship

Though they competed at the Olympics in 1992 and 1994, Evgenia and Vadim never medaled at the Games. However, they had a successful career regardless and earned multiple medals while competing in the World Figure Skating Championship.

Per the International Skating Union, they won bronze in 1993, gold in 1994 and silver in 1995. They also took home a gold medal while competing in the 1995/96 ISU Grand Prix Final.

They got married in 1995 and moved to the U.S. in 1998

Evgenia and Vadim weren’t just a perfect pair on the ice; their chemistry also existed in their personal lives. The pair got married in 1995.

In 1998, Evgenia and Vadim immigrated from Russia to the U.S., initially settling in Simsbury, Conn., and becoming coaches at the Skating Club of Boston.

They welcomed Maxim in 2001, and he followed in their footsteps

The professional skaters became parents in 2001 when they welcomed Maxim, their only child. In his bio on the U.S. Figure Skating Team’s website, Maxim revealed that he first went on the ice when he was 3 years old.

However, it wasn’t until he turned 5 that he began skating in earnest, with his parents as his coaches.

In a 2007 interview with NewEngland.com, Vadim shared how, after hanging up the hat on his professional career, he and Evgenia felt like they needed "another motivation to continue."

"Knowing that you may not need the skills that you’ve trained 25 years to develop can leave you with an empty feeling," he said. "Fortunately, Evgenia and I found coaching."

Evgenia and Vadim died in a plane crash in 2025

On Jan. 29, 2025, Evgenia and Vadim were aboard the American Airlines flight, returning from coaching at a national development camp that lined up with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kan. They were with other figure skaters on board at the time of the tragic accident, which claimed 67 lives, according to ABC News.

Maxim was also present for the U.S. Championships, where he finished in fourth place. However, he flew home on a different flight.

Speaking to Today in March 2025, Maxim revealed that his parents called him before taking off to let him know that they had changed their flight. He said that his mom wanted to know if he could pick them up from the airport when they landed.

Evgenia’s final words to her son were to tell him how proud she was of him

During the interview on Today, Maxim shared his mother’s final words to him.

“She was like, ‘Hey, I just want you to know that we love you and we’re proud of you,’ “ he recalled. “It means everything to me. My whole life, a part of it, was to make them proud.”

They echoed that same message in what would become their final post on Instagram, which they shared two days before their deaths.

“Once again, Maxim made us all proud, getting on to the podium at Nationals after 7th place in the short. This beautiful and emotional performance is a result of a team work," they wrote in the caption. "Maxim has earned his place in the team of 4 Continents."

Maxim is keeping their memory alive

Since his parents’ deaths, Maxim has paid tribute to them in many ways, particularly on the ice.

“This is for you guys. You guys are with me. I love you both,” the skater said in Russian before his routine at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston in March 2025, according to the Associated Press.

Speaking to reporters during the competition, he explained that he "tune[s] everything out" when he hits the ice, feeling a calmness go over him, adding, “And I’m just talking with them, and they’re helping me.”

“I don’t hear the crowd. I don’t hear the announcers, I don’t hear anything. I just have this internal dialogue and I’m just able to almost be calm and just be in my heart,” he said. “And they’re always there, too. And every time I think of them, especially when I’m on the ice, it really, really helps me get through.”

His family’s mantra keeps him going

Speaking to NBC News while competing at the U.S. Championships a year after his parents’ deaths in January 2026, Maxim revealed his family’s mantra: ”We have to fight.” He said that he reminds himself of that whenever he takes the ice, per USA Today.

After completing his routine, which was a tribute to his parents, Maxim held up a photo of himself with them on the ice when he was 3 years old as he awaited his scores.

“This program is very meaningful to me, and I spent so much time in practice connecting with it and evolving it and developing it to be as good as I can possibly make it,” Naumov told USA Today. “To go out there and really share that emotion with everybody has been unreal.”

Maxim added that he could still imagine how his parents would respond to his skate, saying that Vadim would have likely shared one piece of advice: be “a little bit more confident.”

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