Son of Figure Skating Couple Who Died in Plane Crash Flew Out of Wichita Just Days Before Them

Figure skater Maxim Naumov boarded a flight out of Wichita just days before his parents were killed when their American Airlines plane crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 29.

Naumov, 23, competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita on Sunday, January 26, with his parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, on hand to watch him skate. 

Evgenia, 52, and Vadim, 55 — the 1994 world champions in pairs skating — stayed in Wichita to help coach the U.S. National Development Camp as part of their affiliation with The Skating Club of Boston. 

“Max was competing at the U.S. Championships in the senior men’s event, championship men,” Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe explained in a Thursday, January 30 press conference. “He placed fourth, which is a medaling spot. His time in Wichita concluded on Sunday with the men’s event. He was actually on a plane on Monday. I came back with him. He had no reason to stay at the National Development Camp.”

Evgenia and Vadim were passionate supporters of their son, according to Zeghibe, though he noted how the parents had distinct ways of watching Maxim perform.

“Both of his parents were with him while he was competing,” Zeghibe said. “It’s well-known Mom was always too nervous to watch him skate. But his Dad was with him. Dad was in the kiss-and-cry sharing his great performance.” 

Zeghibe said he was unclear about Maxim’s “next steps,” but noted he’s currently scheduled to compete at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, beginning February 18 in Seoul, South Korea. 

In closing, Zeghibe said Maxim was “very close with his parents.”

Evgenia and Vadim were two of six members of the Skating Club of Boston that died in the plane crash. Skaters Spencer Lane and Jin Han, both 16, and their respective mothers, Christine Lane and Jin Han, were also killed. Spencer and Jin had both participated with Evgenia and Vadim in the National Development Camp before their deaths. 

“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” the Boston Skating Club said in a statement on Thursday. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 to 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”

The statement continued, “These athletes, coaches and parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the most promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The Club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

In total, Zeghibe said said “to the best of our knowledge, 14 skaters returning home” died in the crash.