Maxim Naumov Cheer Thread

I saw his videomessage on IG. Good to see him smiling. Hope he can really skate one more year and strive for that Olympic participation. It would be an incredible story. Looking forward to see what he'll skate to. As he is getting more mature, he's looking more and more like his mum!
 
Apparently there is a new interview here but I am unable to access it from my country. If anyone is willing to copy and paste, I'd be grateful :-)

www.boston25news.com

Boston 25 News – Boston 25 News

Breaking news, live video, traffic, weather and your guide to everything local for Massachusetts from Boston 25 News.
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tockyolina said:
If anyone is willing to copy and paste, I'd be grateful :-)
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Here are some exerpts.

On skating at Legacy on Ice:
“It’s very hard to describe in words what that moment was like,” Max said. “To be completely honest, I’m not sure how I kept my composure during that number. It almost felt as though I blocked everything out. I stepped onto the ice and I wasn’t thinking about the elements or my jumps — I was just skating from the heart. Purely from the heart.”
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On his parents:
“They taught me resiliency through and through,” he said. “From the moment I was learning to walk, all the way to competing at the highest levels — they showed me how to be resilient, no matter what happens. Just be prepared for anything and keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other. That was true in sport and in life.” “My dad always said, ‘Expect the unexpected.’ And I live by that.”
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In the video ciip, Max said he's been coaching (so the title is misleading - he has been on the ice, just not training for himself). When asked how he was managing the loss of his parents, he said that he's trying to take things one day at a time, that he has happy memories and more difficult thoughts, and that he tries to sort through them.

When asked how he'd describe his parents, he said that they were professional through and through in everything they did.

He said he'll debuting a new program at SOI, that he wanted it to be a surprise and that he's extremely excited to be part of the show, which he described as "a staple of the skating community."

And when the interviewer asked Max whether he would be aiming for the Olympics, Max said he's just taking things one day at a time, working on "getting back into shape."

So one day at a time for him, but he was quite upbeat in the interview and looks like he is managing as best as one might under such difficult.circumstances.
 
BittyBug said:
Here are some exerpts.

On skating at Legacy on Ice:


On his parents:


In the video ciip, Max said he's been coaching (so the title is misleading - he has been on the ice, just not training for himself). When asked how he was managing the loss of his parents, he said that he's trying to take things one day at a time, that he has happy memories and more difficult thoughts, and that he tries to sort through them.

When asked how he'd describe his parents, he said that they were professional through and through in everything they did.

He said he'll debuting a new program at SOI, that he wanted it to be a surprise and that he's extremely excited to be part of the show, which he described as "a staple of the skating community."

And when the interviewer asked Max whether he would be aiming for the Olympics, Max said he's just taking things one day at a time, working on "getting back into shape."

So one day at a time for him, but he was quite upbeat in the interview and looks like he is managing as best as one might under such difficult.circumstances.
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thanks so much! Always interesting to know more about how he can cope with the aftermath of this absurd tragedy! I find myself thinking about him and his parents daily. About the Olympics, I understand it is a bit stressing for him just to keep answering questions about it and hearing people say they'll cheer for him to get a spot. Everything is still too recent. The big question is also who would coach him as he lost also his coaches, not just his parents. But a decision cannot wait much longer, it's nearly June... And he knows.

PS I am a childless catlady too! ?
 
tockyolina said:
The big question is also who would coach him as he lost also his coaches, not just his parents.
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I think there are two natural choices. One would be Garrett Lucash, who used to co-coach Max when Garrett was in Boston. However, Garrett is now in Michigan so going with Garrett would mean moving, which in turn would be a big upheaval coming so soon after such a huge loss.

The other choice would be Olga and Alexei, who are at the skating club of Boston and no doubt know Max. Plus I would imagine that with them being Russian, some elements of their coaching methods might be similar to his parents’ approach.

But you’re correct, it’s almost June so time is fleeting.
 
BittyBug said:
I think there are two natural choices. One would be Garrett Lucash, who used to co-coach Max when Garrett was in Boston. However, Garrett is now in Michigan so going with Garrett would mean moving, which in turn would be a big upheaval coming so soon after such a huge loss.

The other choice would be Olga and Alexei, who are at the skating club of Boston and no doubt know Max. Plus I would imagine that with them being Russian, some elements of their coaching methods might be similar to his parents’ approach.

But you’re correct, it’s almost June so time is fleeting.
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I thought about these 2 options as well. The Olga and Alexei one seems more likely to me (provided they have time to take in more students...). I don't think he would ever move out of Boston as I believe one of his priorities is carrying on the Tomorrow's Champions program founded by his parents. We'll see...
 
"Figure Skating Runs Across Generations in the Family" - 2.5-minute video dated Feb. 4, 2022 (first post in this thread):
Laura4 said:
Here's a feature that was done on Max and his parents Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova by NBC10 Boston.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRmuSCcSNFU
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Thank you @livetoskate - I found this to be especially touching.🥹 This 6-minute feature "The Naumov Family: A Skating Life" was filmed at the original SC of Boston and posted on March 30, 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxjJY_6-wzc
livetoskate said:
Well worth watching again is this special about Maxim and his parents from over 6-7 years ago. His parents talked about how proud they were of him.
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5+ minute feature filmed at ISCC in Simsbury, CT and uploaded on Feb. 17, 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgcYZhIiZG0
For our February series on winter sports, we headed to the International Skating Center of CT in Simsbury, CT to talk to their figure skating director, Vadim Naumov and his wife Evgenia Shishkova about being the famous Olympian and World Championship pair skaters, and also their young son Maxim is following in their steps and was the 2013 US Figure Skating Juvenile Boy's National Champion.
 
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Max graciously posed for a photo with our Intermediate girls team at Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectionals today (held this year at SCoB). He was just finished with an off-ice workout. I'm not going to furnish a link because... minors... but imagine a smiling Max at the center of a dozen young teenagers. :)
 
Maxim Naumov: Olympic Dream After Loss (Jan. 12, 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKqR_GXMq4g
Figure skater Maxim Naumov makes U.S. Olympic team a year after parents were killed in the January 2025 Potomac River mid-air plane crash (American Airlines Flight 5342 crash).
U.S. figure skater Maxim Naumov opens up about the emotional moment he realized he’d achieved his lifelong Olympic dream. In this powerful interview, Naumov reflects on 19 years of dedication, the perspective he gained through adversity, and the family sacrifices that shaped his journey. He shares how lessons from his parents — both former Olympians — helped him push through his most difficult year yet and evolve both as an athlete and as a person. Naumov also discusses what it means to finally call himself an Olympian, why being present in the moment matters more than ever, and the unplanned on-ice moment involving his cross that felt deeply symbolic. With the Olympics ahead, Maxim Naumov says one thing clearly: the job isn’t finished.

Simsbury native Maxim Naumov heading to 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics (NBC Connecticut/Jan. 12): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RcilTvFAM

Max's Nationals SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMIqiYKAFUA

Figure skater Max Naumov honors parents in Olympic quest (WOOD TV8/filmed at Champs Camp?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrPcOf8oQlY

ETA:

Maxim Naumov: Turning tragedy into triumph on the road to Milan 2026 (filmed at Champs Camp in mid-August 2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixblD-PNjQU
In this emotional and inspiring interview, Maxim opens up about: Taking over his parents’ youth skating program, Tomorrow’s Champions Finding strength through loss and rediscovering his passion for the ice The power of resilience and how he’s channeling grief into greatness This is a story about love, legacy, and never giving up — even when life knocks you down.

Maxim Naumov on losing parents in DC crash, honoring their legacy (March 27, 2025/TODAY Show): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aROmz1cy7c
Just days after placing fourth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Maxim Naumov lost both of his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, in the deadly midair crash between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional American Airlines jet over Washington, D.C. In an exclusive interview with TODAY’s Craig Melvin, he opens up about how he is coping with the tragedy and the way he is honoring their legacy. “The only way out is through,” he says.
Craig Melvin's post after Max made the Olympic team: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTbOnmkgatH/
So proud of you, @maximnaumov_. Nearly a year after we last spoke, you’ve turned unimaginable loss into extraordinary strength, and now you’re officially headed to Milan as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team.
I know your parents, Vadim and Evgenia, would be bursting with pride watching you carry their legacy onto the ice. Congratulations! Can’t wait to cheer you on. 🇺🇸
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Connecticut Insider article by Bryant Carpenter on Coach Vladimir Petrenko (Viktor’s younger brother who “won the 1986 junior World Championship before a back injury ended his competitive career”) published after Maxim placed 4th in the SP (Jan. 10): https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/article/figure-skating-maxim-naumov-vladimir-petrenko-21284196.php
Now 55, Vladimir Petrenko still lives in Simsbury. His oldest son Daniel is the Director of Figure Skating at the ISCC. His younger son Anton is the same age as Max, who is an only child.
Each week, Vladimir Petrenko drives to Norwood, Mass., where the Naumovs moved in 2017, and coaches Max at the Skating Club of Boston.
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"He has gone through different stages — personal searching, recovery, and development, first and foremost as a person," Petrenko noted. "There is a deep, fundamental foundation and a connection that links his past and his present, and it is this foundation that Max relies on."
At the heart of it are Evgenia and Vadim. Petrenko said there are days — every day, in fact — when he and Max feel their presence with them on the ice.
"Sometimes it is a memory, sometimes a moment of reflection, sometimes simply a feeling of calm presence," Petrenko said.
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"When I look at him skating, I often think how incredibly proud Evgenia and Vadim would be of the man he has become — strong, thoughtful, independent, and compassionate," Petrenko said. "Coaching Max is not only about helping an athlete. It is about supporting a person who carries great history and great love within him. And I am grateful to be part of that journey — not instead of his parents, but together with the memory of them, which continues to live through Max every single day."
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ETA: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTnhRU0Dbz_/
 
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I was able to open the (paywalled?) Hartford Courant article by Lori Riley (Jan. 15) linked in ISCC's Instagram post above. A few excerpts:
After his parents died, Max threw himself into work, coaching their skaters at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Mass. He was working from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Vladimir said, when he talked to Vladimir in March about helping him coach.
Vladimir, who coaches at the Simsbury rink, immediately said he would help and drove to Norwood.
“I’d go there Mondays through Fridays,” Vladimir said. “Saturday and Sunday, I was here (in Simsbury). Since then, it’s always like that.”
Then Max asked Vladimir to coach him in July to prepare for the national championships and attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Elena and Vladimir are a team; they rented an apartment in the area where they spent the week, and they would return to Connecticut on the weekends. Daniel, who is now the director of figure skating at the Simsbury rink, took over Vladimir’s lessons in Simsbury.
“I’m a coach and a choreographer and everything else,” Elena said. “It’s not only about the technique – you need to know your athlete, how the day went before, how to get his head fixed if something’s bothering him…
“What to say, how to say it,” Vladimir said. “How to react with what is going on.”
“It’s love, it’s patience,” Elena said. “We want him to succeed. We want him to be happy. In this situation, knowing what he – what all of us – went through … we just had to become someone between family and coaches.”
“There’s no guidance, how to do this,” Vladimir said.
“Everybody was asking, how did you do this in four months?” Elena said. “We call it the secret recipe.”
She laughed.
“It’s been a long journey for us. It’s not only from the end of July. It’s from the Day One when we came here to the United States.”
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“When he started practicing, it was a little bumpy road,” Vladimir said.
Sometimes, Elena said, it was hard for herself and her husband not to show their emotions when they were coaching Max.
“We’re still also in that grief,” she said.
But they all made it and when she knew Max had finished third at the nationals, Elena cried and cried. Even the more stoic Vladimir, who was in the “kiss and cry” area with Max, got emotional.
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But first they will have to get past Jan. 29, the anniversary of the plane crash.
“This is going to be very emotional for all of us,” Elena said. “It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be tough on Max. But he’s very resilient. He has us.
“Sometimes we have to hug, sometimes we have to cry. We are always going to be around– on the ice, off the ice. We want him to go to college. It’s not only about skating. That’s probably the most important thing for us. If you’re a strong person, you can achieve a lot.”
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Thanks to @ice coverage for reminding me about Norwood (MA) Community Media's 6-minute 1/16 Norwood News report (Chan/Howe & Naumov spoke to the local media at SCoB on 1/14):
www.instagram.com

Norwood Community Media on Instagram: "As we reported last week, skaters from the Skating Club of Boston were in St. Louis at the U.S. Championships trying to earn a spot on the U.S Olympic Team. Here is Mark Hoover with the latest news. @skatingclu

61 likes, 0 comments - norwoodcommunitymedia on January 17, 2026: "As we reported last week, skaters from the Skating Club of Boston were in St. Louis at the U.S. Championships trying to earn a spot on the U.S Olympic Team. Here is Mark Hoover with the latest news. @skatingclubbos @maximnaumov_...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
Spencer before the 3-minute mark: "Max is like my brother; he was my roommate for many years... On Sunday... I was just praying the whole time like 'I want Max to walk through that door' - ironically he was one of the last ones to come through..." (recommend watching to hear the entire sweet story; Max starts speaking ~3:45).
 
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Occurs to me that the first anniversary of losing Vadim and Evgenia will coincide (or nearly so) with Olympic team processing for their beloved and resilient Max.
No doubt that he will be holding his parents close in his heart as he feels the pride and joy of receiving all of his official Team USA gear, a tangible moment in their shared dreams of Max competing at the Olympics.
I think coaches usually go through team processing at the same time as their athletes? And I hope that some of Max's supportive teammates will be going through alongside him too.
 
I think if the USA win the gold in the team event, they will most certainly dedicate their victory to the victims of the flight.
When will we know which skaters will perform during the team event, any idea?
 
tockyolina said:
When will we know which skaters will perform during the team event, any idea?
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Ilia is most likely for the SP but it's still unknown whether or not he will also do the FS. Any news/official updates will be posted in the "2026 Olympics Team Event - Strategy, Predictions & Discussion" thread in GSD.

ETA links to 3 articles published after his 4th place SP at Nationals, including 2 by Hersh:

Yahoo! Sports article by Jay Busbee (Jan. 9):
sports.yahoo.com

Through unimaginable tragedy, Maxim Naumov skates for an Olympic bid

Nearly a year after losing his parents in a plane crash, Maxim Naumov wears his heart on his sleeve as he attempts to make the U.S. Olympic team.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com

Phil Hersh for NBC Olympics (Jan. 9):
www.nbcolympics.com

Maxim Naumov channels loss for powerful skate at nationals in Olympic bid

After a 4th place finish in the short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Maxim Naumov is the mix to make the 2026 Olympic team less than a year after his parents and former coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov died when American Airlines Flight 5342 crashed with a...
www.nbcolympics.com www.nbcolympics.com
Hersh's article after Max was named to the Olympic team (Jan. 11):
www.nbcolympics.com

Maxim Naumov fought 'tooth and nail,' earning Olympic berth after personal loss

Maxim Naumov was named to the 2026 U.S. Olympic team after a confident 3rd-place finish at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
www.nbcolympics.com www.nbcolympics.com

Olympics.com article by Scott Bregman (Jan. 8): https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-...rents-at-us-championships-2026-milano-cortina
 
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