US figure skater Maxim Naumov honors late parents in emotional Olympic performance

AJ Edelman spoke to Fox News Digital about his Israeli bobsled teammates suffering a burglary and vandalism at their hotel just days before competing in the Winter Olympics.

United States figure skater Maxim Naumov delivered an emotional performance in his Olympic debut on Tuesday, honoring his late parents who died in a tragic plane crash last year.

There wasn’t a dry pair of eyes at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday night, as Naumov fulfilled a dream he had alongside his parents, former pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were among the 67 people killed when a military helicopter collided midair into American Airlines Flight 5342 in Washington D.C. in January 2025.

Naumov, 24, was expected to be a long shot to even crack the top 10 at this year’s Olympics, let alone medal. But he delivered quite the show that resulted in a full standing ovation, as he looked up at the sky and said, "Look at what we’ve done," per ESPN.

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Maxim Naumov of Team United States reacts after competing in the men’s singles skating short program on day four of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 10, 2026. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

"I didn’t know if I was going to cry, smile or laugh," Naumov said after his short program resulted in a score of 85.65 — good for 12th and having him qualify for the next round.

Naumov skated to "Nocturne No. 20," and he couldn’t have been happier with his performance, knowing his parents were with him in spirit.

FIGURE SKATER MAXIM NAUMOV MAKES US OLYMPIC TEAM ONE YEAR AFTER LOSING BOTH PARENTS IN TRAGIC DC PLANE CRASH

"I’ve been inspired by them since day 1, ever