US figure skater Maxim Naumov paid a hearbreaking tribute to his parents on his Winter Olympics debut, both of whom died in the 2025 American Airlines DC plane crash with an army helicopter.
The 24-year-old Naumov made his debut on Tuesday in the men’s short program and after completing his performance, held up a picture of himself with his parents when he was a young boy.
He received a wild cheer from the crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, before kissing the picture and bursting into tears.
A message was also displayed on the jumbotron inside the arena, which said: ‘Mom and Dad, this is for you’.
Naumov was the second skater out of 29 to take to the ice on Tuesday and managed to channel his emotion well, recording a season-best score of 86.65 on the day.
The tribute from Naumov was similar to the one he carried out at the US figure skating championships last month.
USA’s Maxim Naumov holds a picture of his late parents after his Winter Olympics debut
Naumov got tearful as fans paid tribute to his parents, who both died in a January plane crash
‘To go out there and really share that emotion with everybody has been unreal,’ Naumov told USA Today after that event.
Naumov’s parents, Vadim and Evgenia, died in the mid-air collision in January 2025 that killed 67 people.
They were crowned pairs world champions in ice skating in 1994 and were the people who introduced Naumov to the sport, remaining a key influence over his career up until their death.
Vadim and Evgenia were two of the 28 figure skating coaches, athletes and parents who were traveling from a development camp in Witchita, Kansas who lost their life.
MORE TO FOLLOW