At 24, Naumov has shown remarkable resilience and perseverance. His recent selection for Team USA set to compete in the 2026 Winter Games in Milan marks a significant achievement in his skating career. This announcement came on a Sunday, just as he stepped onto the grand stage, carrying the legacy of his parents with him.

During a remarkable performance on Thursday, Naumov impressed the judges with a free skate score of 163.44 at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This score earned him a place on the podium for the first time in his senior career, according to officials from the Olympics. His routine, delivered with precision and grace, brought the audience to their feet in a standing ovation.

Despite the emotional weight of the moment, Naumov maintained his composure on the ice. However, in the poignant setting of the kiss-and-cry area, where skaters often show raw emotions, he couldn’t hold back his tears. Here, he held up a cherished photograph, a snapshot from his childhood. It depicted a three-year-old Max stepping onto the ice for the first time at the International Skating Center of Connecticut, flanked by his proud parents, who watched on as he wore his first pair of white skates.

He managed to hold his emotions in while performing, and a standing ovation carried him off the ice.

He did finally get emotional when in the kiss-and-cry area, named for emotional reactions after performances. He held up a photo of him at 3 years old, his parents by his side, stepping onto the ice in white skates for the first time at the International Skating Center of Connecticut.

“Sharing the vulnerability with the audience and me feeling their energy back has been something I remember for the rest of my life,” he told reporters.

Naumov was fourth at nationals a year ago, and he had returned home from Wichita on an earlier flight. His mom and dad stayed behind for the development camp and were making their own way home when the plane crash that killed 67 happened.

Of the victims, more than two dozen were returning from a development camp following the U.S. championships in Wichita, Kansas. Many were young skaters, taught by the elder Naumov and Shishkova, who looked up to their son.

One of the last conversations Naumov had with his parents was about the Olympics, and what it would take to earn a spot on the American team in Italy. His short program Thursday night, which began with a quad salchow and ended with a triple-triple combination, was good enough to briefly give him the lead, and keep him in the mix heading into Saturday’s free skate.

“My dad would have told me to keep fighting for that salchow,” Naumov told the Associated Press.

He will now join Team USA in the Winter Olympics alongside teammates Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev to represent the U.S. for men’s figure skating.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.