“I mean, it’s the ultimate goal,” Maxim Naumov said after he skated to Chopin’s “Nocturne No. 20,” with the whole crowd at the US Figure Skating Championships giving him the standing ovation. Indeed, making it to the Winter Olympics was more than a goal. It was a lifelong dream shared by him and his parents, who last year tragically passed away in the Potomac River plane crash.

Naumov’s world shattered around him, but he didn’t give up. And just almost a year later, Naumov has finally earned a Winter Olympic spot. “We did it. We absolutely did it. God is good. God is good,” were the first words that came out of the 24-year-old’s mouth, as reported by Anna Lulis on X. 

Reflecting on this emotional moment, he added, “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family and it’s what I’ve been thinking about since I’ve been five years old before I even know how to think or what to think. So I can’t even say in words how much this means to me.”

With a strong performance, Naumov was able to secure the bronze medal (249.16 points). With him on the podium were Andrew Torgashev with 267.62 points in 2nd place and Ilia Malinin with 324.88 points in first place, who also won his fourth consecutive US title.

Naumov then went to deliver a message straight to his fanbase, who helped him remain sane during his toughest time, saying, “Unbelievable. Every message, every letter, every call, every text, I see it and it helps me just keep pushing through the difficult days, getting up and going to bed. Thank you, everyone.”

The 24-year-old shared the mentality that his mother, Evgenia Shishkova, had installed in his brain, saying, “I really hope that my mom watched because she never used to watch me skate. But they say we’re proud of you, but job’s not finished. We’re just getting started.”

For Naumov, the Winter Olympics will be more than an athletic showdown, as this is a dream that has been shared by him and his biggest support system: his parents. However, apart from the spotlight, he shared another heartfelt moment.

Maxim Naumov’s special rinkside fan

Maxim Naumov was performing in his free program, but there was a certain voice that kept calling his name right beside the rink. It was 11-year-old Grace Zhang, a young skater who was wearing a Team USA jacket, and the moment Naumov saw her, he skated his way to her, and they shared a hug for a long time.

Well, Zhang wasn’t any random fan, but she was very close to Naumov’s parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. At the Skating Club of Boston, they used to coach the 11-year-old as she competed in the novice divisions.

So far in her young career, Zhang has won third place in the Eastern Sectional Novice in November 2025 and a second medal at the Santa Claus Cup in Budapest.

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Zhang also won the silver medal in the Juvenile Girls category at the 2023 Eastern Sectional Singles Final, and a video of Naumov and Shishkova energetically celebrating Zhang’s finish and then PB has been doing the rounds on X after this year’s figure skating champs.