Maxim Naumov’s Olympic journey in Milan is already shaping up to be one of the most heartfelt stories of the 2026 Winter Games. On February 10, the 24-year-old figure skater, who has deep roots in both Simsbury, Connecticut, and Norwood, Massachusetts, delivered a stirring short program at the Milan Ice Skating Arena. Skating second in the lineup, Naumov performed to Frédéric Chopin’s "Nocturne No. 20," earning a personal score of 85.65 and securing 14th place in a field brimming with the world’s best. That finish was good enough to send him through to Friday’s free skate, where the Olympic medals will be decided.
For Naumov, simply stepping onto Olympic ice was a triumph in itself. The past year has been marked by unimaginable personal loss. On January 29, 2025, his parents and lifelong coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, died tragically in a plane crash in Washington, D.C. The couple, both accomplished skaters and beloved figures in the international skating community, had long dreamed of seeing their son compete at the Olympics. In the months after their passing, Maxim’s future in the sport was uncertain. He skated only sporadically, processing his grief and weighing his next steps.
But last July, a spark reignited. Naumov reached out to his parents’ close friends, Vladimir and Elena Petrenko, renowned coaches based in Simsbury, to guide him through the most difficult season of his life. He also took over coaching duties at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, carrying forward the legacy his parents left behind. The decision to return to competition wasn’t easy, but with the support of his new coaches and the encouragement of the communities in both Simsbury and Norwood, Naumov set his sights on making the U.S. Olympic team.
“I didn’t know whether I was going to cry or smile or be happy,” Naumov told NBC after his skate, emotion thick in his voice. “All I can do is look up to the sky and say, ‘We just did it.’”
That sense of connection—to his parents, to his roots, to the young skaters he now coaches—was palpable throughout Naumov’s performance. He described feeling an uncanny calm as he took the ice, a marked contrast to the nerves that typically accompany such high-stakes moments. “As soon as I hit that first pose, usually my body is shaking really hard in that moment and I tend to rush a lot but this time the ease, the smoothness of everything, the way I was setting up for everything, I felt like someone was just guiding me along the ice as I was going,” he told NBC. “I most definitely felt their presence.”
Naumov’s journey to Milan began years earlier at the International Skating Center of Connecticut, where his parents coached and where he first fell in love with the sport. The family relocated to Norwood in 2017, but their ties to Simsbury remained strong. That bond was on full display as Daniel Petrenko, Maxim’s childhood friend and director of the International Skating Center, traveled to Milan to cheer him on in person. “It was awesome to watch Max on Olympic ice, and it was even cooler watching it live. The crowd was fully invested and cheering him on, you could feel it! I’m happy he skated clean and am excited to see the long (program) later this week,” Daniel shared with The Courant.
Naumov’s performance resonated far beyond the arena. Back in Norwood, the young skaters he now coaches gathered to watch their mentor on a video feed, showering him with support. Overwhelmed, Naumov waved at the screen and declared, “I love each and every one of you guys.” He later told NBC, “The support I feel from my hometown, it just makes my heart so happy.”
While Naumov’s story tugs at the heartstrings, the competition itself has been nothing short of electric. The men’s short program was dominated by his U.S. teammate, Ilia Malinin, who lived up to his reputation as the “Quad God.” Malinin dazzled the Milan crowd with a near-perfect routine set to music from the action-adventure video game "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown," racking up a staggering 108.16 points. His program featured a massive quad flip, a textbook triple axel, and a quad lutz-triple toe loop combination that alone netted more than 22 points. The highlight? A jaw-dropping backflip and the now-famous “raspberry twist” that had the audience on its feet.
Malinin’s technical brilliance put him comfortably ahead of Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who scored 103.07, and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa, who posted 102.55. Kagiyama, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, delivered a beautiful performance but lost crucial points after a misstep on his final triple axel. Siao Him Fa, notable for being the last skater to beat Malinin over two years ago, rounded out the top three with a strong showing.
The U.S. squad’s depth was further highlighted by Andrew Torgashev, who finished the day in eighth place with a score of 88.94. With three Americans in the top 14, the team is well-positioned heading into the free skate, scheduled for February 13, 2026. That’s when the medals will be decided, and all eyes will be on Malinin to see if he can maintain his commanding lead—or perhaps even attempt the unprecedented quad axel that only he has successfully landed in competition.
For Naumov, the free skate represents more than just another chance to climb the leaderboard. It’s an opportunity to honor his parents’ memory, inspire the next generation of skaters, and continue writing a story that’s already captured the imagination of fans back home and around the world. With the support of his coaches, friends, and the entire skating community, Naumov’s Olympic dream is alive and well.
As the men’s figure skating competition heads toward its dramatic conclusion, Maxim Naumov stands as a testament to resilience, family, and the power of community. The stage is set for a memorable free skate in Milan—one that promises both athletic fireworks and emotional resonance. Stay tuned, because this story is far from over.