In a poignant and triumphant moment, figure skater Maxim Naumov has been selected to represent the United States at the upcoming Winter Olympics, fulfilling a lifelong family dream shadowed by profound tragedy.
A Dream Forged in Family, Honoured in Memory
US Figure Skating has confirmed its 16-strong team for the Milan-Cortina Games in Italy next month, with Naumov's inclusion carrying immense emotional weight. His parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were the 1994 world pairs champions and later coaches at the Skating Club of Boston. Their lives were cut short in January 2025 when the plane carrying them and 26 others from the US championships in Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter over Washington DC. There were no survivors.
"I would not be sitting here without the unimaginable work effort and love from my parents," Naumov said emotionally after the team announcement. "It means absolutely everything to me, fulfilling the dream that we collectively had as a family since I first was on the ice at five years old. I know they’re looking down, smiling and proud."
Team USA's Star-Studded Lineup for Gold
Naumov will compete in the men's singles event alongside the sport's new superstar, Ilia Malinin. The reigning world champion, fresh from securing his fourth consecutive national title, is the overwhelming favourite to win gold in Milan, aiming to continue the legacy of Nathan Chen. "I’m just so excited for the Olympic spirit," Malinin stated. "Hopefully go for that Olympic gold."
The team is packed with medal contenders. In ice dance, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who just won a record seventh US title, lead the charge. The women's squad features a remarkable comeback story in Alysa Liu. The 2025 world champion briefly retired after the Beijing Games but returned rejuvenated. She now aims to help the US win its first women's singles medal since 2006.
Liu's teammates include the formidable Amber Glenn, a three-time national champion, and former world silver medalist Isabeau Levito, whose mother hails from Milan.
Selection Heartbreak and the Human Element
While the team announcement brought joy, it also came with disappointment for some. The top American pairs team, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, missed selection because Efimova's US citizenship was not approved before the deadline, despite concerted lobbying efforts.
US Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell acknowledged the difficulty of such decisions, stating, "The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete’s life... Sometimes these aren’t easy, and this is not the fun part."
The full US team for Milan-Cortina 2026 now sets its sights on Italy, carrying a mix of world-leading form, compelling personal narratives, and the unwavering spirit of Olympic ambition.
