Maxim Naumov’s parents and the plane-crash story fans keep mixing up

Maxim “Max” Naumov, a U.S. men’s figure skater competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, has become a focal point of Olympic coverage for a painful reason: his parents—both elite former pair skaters and his longtime coaches—died in a plane crash on January 29, 2025. Online searches for “naumov parents” and “maxim naumov parents” have surged alongside confusion that mistakenly links the tragedy to another U.S. star, Ilia Malinin.

Here’s what’s confirmed about Naumov’s family, what happened in the crash, and why Malinin’s parents are being pulled into the rumor mill.

Who are Maxim Naumov’s parents?

Naumov’s parents were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, a celebrated Russian pairs team who later became coaches in the United States. They competed at the Olympics and won major international titles, including a World Championship gold in the mid-1990s. After retiring from competition, they built a coaching life in the U.S. and worked with developing and elite skaters.

Maxim Naumov, born in 2001, grew up in that world—training under his parents and carrying a family Olympic dream that was shared, explicit, and long-term.

What happened in the January 29, 2025 plane crash?

On January 29, 2025, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were among those killed when a passenger jet collided in mid-air with a U.S. Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. The crash became a particularly devastating event for the figure skating community, with multiple skaters, coaches, and family members among the victims.

A key detail that often comes up in coverage: Maxim was not on that flight. He had traveled separately, narrowly avoiding the disaster.

How Maxim Naumov has spoken about skating after the loss

At the Olympics in Milan on February 10, 2026 (ET), Naumov competed in the men’s short program in what has been framed as an emotional milestone—his Olympic debut occurring almost exactly one year after the crash. He has described feeling a strong sense of connection to his parents while skating, and he has repeatedly pointed to their coaching voice and family mindset as something he still carries into competition.

Beyond the Olympics, Naumov has taken part in tribute efforts tied to the victims, and he has used performances over the last year to honor his parents’ memory in a public, visible way—something that is both inspiring and heavy, given the sport’s relentless calendar.

Why people are searching “Ilia Malinin parents plane crash”

The short version: it’s a mix-up.

Ilia Malinin is another prominent U.S. men’s skater at the 2026 Games, and he comes from a famous skating family. His parents—Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov—are former Olympians who have coached and supported his development. They are alive, active in the sport, and widely present around his training and competitive routine.

The “plane crash” connection appears to come from:

• Both skaters being part of the U.S. Olympic men’s team narrative at the same time

• Increased attention on skating families during the Olympics

• Social-media rumor loops that merge separate stories into one

Key facts to keep straight

• Maxim Naumov’s parents (Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova) died in the January 29, 2025 plane crash near Washington, D.C.

• Maxim was not on the flight.

• Ilia Malinin’s parents (Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov) did not die in a plane crash and are not connected to that incident.

• The confusion is largely driven by overlapping Olympic coverage and viral search terms.

What’s next for Naumov’s Olympic moment

Naumov’s story at these Games has two parallel tracks: the competitive one (scores, placement, execution under pressure) and the human one (grief, resilience, and skating in the shadow of a public tragedy). The next performances will likely continue to be framed through both lenses—especially if he delivers programs that look freer, calmer, or more emotionally charged than his pre-2025 skating.

For viewers trying to follow the headlines without getting pulled into misinformation, the cleanest guide is simple: the plane-crash loss belongs to Naumov’s family story, not Malinin’s.

Sources consulted: Associated Press; Time; Olympics.com; Reuters