Skater Maxim Naumov Breaks Down in Tears amid ‘Emotional’ Tribute to Late Parents Who Died in D.C. Plane Crash

Maxim’s parents Evgenia Shiskova and Vadim Naumov were among the 67 victims who died in the Jan. 29 American Airlines crash

Maxim Naumov at the ‘Legacy on Ice’ event on March 2, 2025. Photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty

Maxim Naumov — who is the son of American Airlines crash victims Evgenia “Zhenya” Shishkova and Vadim Naumov — was among the multiple members of the skating community paying tribute to those lost at March 2’s Legacy on Ice event
Maxim broke down in tears after skating to “Ave Maria,” before exiting the ice holding a candle while honoring his late parents
28 members of the skating community were among the 67 victims who died in the tragedy in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 29

The son of 1994 World Figure Skating pairs champions Evgenia “Zhenya” Shishkova and Vadim Naumov broke down in tears as he honored his parents, who died in the American Airlines tragedy, while performing at the Legacy on Ice event.

On Sunday, March 2, Maxim Naumov, 23, was among many members of the skating community to take to the ice to pay tribute to the 28 members of the figure skating community who were onboard American Airlines flight 5342, which collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 29.

Multiple skaters, along with Maxim’s parents, had been heading back to D.C. after attending the U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas. Maxim had also been in Wichita and finished fourth in the senior men’s competition at the U.S. National Championships on Jan. 26, just days before his parents’ death.

The bodies of all 67 victims have since been recovered following the crash over the Potomac River, authorities have confirmed.

Sunday’s Legacy on Ice event at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. raised funds for the families of the victims, as well as the first responders who were responded to the crash. Proceeds will benefit them through the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation’s Legacy on Ice program.

Maxim Naumov at the ‘Legacy on Ice’ event on March 2, 2025.Scott Taetsch/Getty

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At the event, Maxim skated a solo to “Ave Maria,” which he dedicated to his parents, before he sank to the ice crying and wiped away tears at the end of his emotional performance. In a clip shared on X, Maxim skated onto the ice holding two white roses before placing them on a table filled with more white roses and candles at the side of the rink.

Another clip shared on X by the Team USA account showed Maxim holding up a candle while leaving the ice alongside some of his fellow skaters as the crowd clapped in solidarity.

Three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir was among those getting emotional at the event, telling PEOPLE following his solo skate to “Memory,” “I think that when you’re an athlete, you’re taught to have ice in your veins and to push through anything that affects your community. And ours is so small that even if you don’t know everybody, you know them all. They’re all family in some way.”

Eleven of the victims were young skaters from five different clubs, according to a tribute video previously shared to the U.S. Figure Skating Instagram page.

Skaters honor the victims of the American Airlines crash at ‘Legacy on Ice’ event.Scott Taetsch/Getty

Weir, 40, tells PEOPLE, “There are so many little skaters out there, so I want to show them that it’s okay to continue and to dream and to sparkle for the people that we’ve lost. Losing these skaters, we lost a generation of dreamers.”

“You never know what’s going to happen in sports. You can never predict it. We lost beautiful coaches, parents of skaters. We lost a generation of people that only make our little world stronger, and it’s heartbreaking,” he adds.

Among Sunday’s appearances by some of the biggest names in the skating community, there was a group performance to Beyoncé’s “Halo” by the skaters who had trained at the Development Camp for Team USA, as well as a performance by Sofia Bezkorovainaya, who skated a solo to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Bezkorovainaya, 14, was close friends with crash victim Everly Livingston, 14, who died alongside her sister Alydia Livingston, 11, on Jan. 29.

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.PIERRE VERDY/AFP via Getty

Retired figure skater Scott Hamilton — who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics — also spoke to PEOPLE about the tragedy at Sunday’s event. “What happened was so unspeakable, unthinkable and just so tragic and devastating that I was smothered, I mean, really literally, in sadness — I couldn’t get over it,” he says.

“I just it felt so heavy on me that just I couldn’t shake it. And then I just figured there’s probably a lot of people like me that don’t know what to do with this,” the 66-year-old adds while speaking about turning to prayer following the incident.

2024 world champion, Ilia Malinin adds of paying tribute to the victims, “We’re all here to remember them and to keep them in our hearts, keep them in our heads, to just keep them in our hearts when we skate, and just skate for them.”

“Today was very emotional and very hard for all of us. It’s really an experience for us to go through, and we’re just glad that we’re all here as the figure skating family and community, just to support everyone and support each each other,” the 20-year-old continues, adding that it was “traumatic” to have known a lot of the people who were lost on the flight.