A devastating plane crash near Washington has claimed the lives of two Russian figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
The couple, who were also two-time Olympians and former world champions, were among the 64 people on board the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.
A Lifetime of Achievements
Shishkova and Naumov had an impressive career in figure skating, winning a world championship title in pairs skating in 1994.
They narrowly missed out on Olympic medals at the Lillehammer Games that same year. After retiring from competitive skating, they moved to the US and coached generations of young skaters in New England.
Their son, Maxim Naumov, was a talented skater who finished fourth at the US national championships in Wichita, Kansas, just last week.
A Community in Mourning
The news of their death has sent shockwaves through the figure skating community.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the couple’s death, and the Skating Club of Boston, where they coached, released a statement expressing their condolences.
Lyudmila Velikova, their former coach, remembered them as “truly remarkable” people who were kind, excellent coaches, and wonderful parents.
A Legacy of Coaching Excellence
Shishkova and Naumov were among many Russian skaters who sought a new life as coaches in the US after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
They had over 20 years of coaching experience and had qualified as sports instructors in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Their profiles on the Skating Club of Boston website highlighted their achievements, including coaching their own son to the US junior men’s title in 2020.
Tributes Pour In
The Russian Figure Skating Federation issued a statement of condolences, expressing their shock and sadness at the loss of the couple and other talented junior athletes and qualified coaches.
US skaters Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov, who competed at the 2006 Turin Olympics, remembered Shishkova and Naumov as “remarkable and kind people” who were “great friends and wonderful parents.”
A Family’s Loss
The couple’s son, Maxim, was not on the same flight, but the loss of his parents is a devastating blow. The figure skating community is coming together to support him and the families of the other victims.
As the news of the plane crash continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the loss of Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov will be deeply felt by the figure skating community and beyond.