United States’ figure skater Maxim Naumov, whose parents died in a plane crash last year, has qualified for Milano Cortina 2026, starting next month.
Incidentally, Naumov had spoken about his Winter Olympic dreams with his parents before losing his parents.
“We did it,” Naumov said when asked what his parents would say if they were watching.
Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, his parents, were among the 67 killed in January 25 plane crash when an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter mid-air in Washington DC.
They were returning from Wichita, Kansas, which was hosting the 2025 US championships.
His parents were World Champions in figure skating for Russia in 1994. They later moved to the US and coached emerging skaters at Skating Club of Boston.
All the 28 on board, connected to athletes, were killed in the mishap.
The 24-year-old was placed behind Ilia Malinin and runner-up Andrew Torgashev at the US Figure Skating Championships in St Louis.
He joins a list of 15 figure skaters to represent the US in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games.
“I thought of them immediately,” Naumov said on Sunday, according to US Figure Skating. “I wish they could be here to experience it with me, but I do feel their presence, and they are with me.”