Figure skater Maxim Naumov was moved to tears during Thursday’s U.S. Championship … after he paid tribute to his late parents, who tragically died in the Washington D.C. plane crash nearly a year ago.

Naumov, along with other top skaters, competed at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri … not only vieing for the Championship, but also a spot on the U.S. Olympic team heading into the 2026 Winter Games.

After nailing his routine, Naumov, holding an old family photo of him with his parents as a three-year-old, patiently waited for his score. When it was finally announced, the 24-year-old became very emotional.

Maxim’s parents, skaters Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were among 67 people who lost their lives when a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air with an American Airlines jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025.

After the tragic accident, Naumov said his parents changed their flight at the last minute, as they were returning home from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

As for Thursday night’s performance, Naumov found himself in first place for the time being with a score of 85.72, before ultimately finishing in fourth place to end the night.

There are only three spots available for Team USA, but all hope isn’t lost for MN, who will have a chance to make the team this weekend.

“I mean, it’s the ultimate goal,” Naumov said of the Olympics in Milan.

“My parents and I, one of our last conversations, was exactly about that. It would mean the absolute world for me to do it. It’s what I think about first thing in the morning and when I shut my eyes.”

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