After the tragic loss of his parents, Evgenia “Zhenya” Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were world figure skating pairs champions in 1994, Maxim Naumov sent a moving tribute expressing the support he has received.
“I am truly speechless when it comes to describing how grateful and loved I am by each and every one of you,” the 23-year-old Maxim said in an Instagram post on Tuesday, March 4, two days after he sobbed while paying tribute to his parents at the Legacy on Ice event.
I am so thankful for your warmth and support, and every hug, letter, phone, and prayer has affected me in ways I can’t properly articulate,” Maxim wrote, sharing a snapshot from the moving performance in his post. Your love has touched my heart in such a way that I can’t help but cry. Thank you for your kindness and generosity; it has empowered me to face each day with optimism.
“The love from my community “means more to me than I could ever put into words,” the teenage figure skater captioned his post. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing by me during the most difficult time of my life,” he said.
The 28 figure skaters on American Airlines Flight 5342 were honored on Sunday, March 2, among other skaters, for their sacrifice on January 29, when the plane crashed in Washington, D.C., with a U.S. Army Black Hawk chopper.
Proceeds from the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation’s Legacy on Ice program were used to support the families of the victims and the first responders at the event held at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
X released a footage from the occasion in which Maxim skates onto the ice with two white flowers in his hands. He then sets them on a table beside the rink, where there are other white roses and candles.
As a group of skaters and Maxim left the rink, the audience applauded in unity in another footage from Maxim’s performance that Team USA released on X.
After spending time at the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kan., many skaters—including Maxim’s parents—were making their way back to Washington, D.C. The day before his parents passed away, Maxim had been in Wichita competing in the senior men’s division at the U.S. National Championships, where he placed fourth.
The corpses of all sixty-seven victims of the accident over the Potomac River have been retrieved, according to police.