Their 23-year-old son, Maxim was not with them
According to a friend, he had left Wichita on Monday.
A Moscow-based report revealed that just days before the crash, Evgenia and Vadim had shared words of pride with Maxim after he secured fourth place in a competition. Their heartfelt message was later shared by Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti, Russia’s oldest newspaper:
“He climbed to the podium at Nationals after placing seventh in the short program. This beautiful and emotional performance is the result of teamwork. Maxim has earned his place among the champions of four continents.”
Several skaters, coaches, and their families were on the ill-fated flight
They were returning home from the National Development Camp held alongside the championships.
“We are devastated by this unimaginable tragedy and hold the victims’ families in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available,” the organization said in a statement.
American figure skater John Maravilla told RIA Novosti that approximately 14 figure skaters were on board, not including their parents and coaches.
The disaster occurred Wednesday night when a regional passenger jet collided midair with a U.S. Army helicopter, sending both aircraft into the Potomac River as the plane approached Reagan Washington National Airport. According to American Airlines, 60 passengers and four crew members were on board.
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, originally from Leningrad, competed as a pair for the USSR and Russia, winning the 1994 World Championship. They moved to the U.S. in 1998 and became coaches.
The couple was reportedly traveling with a group of young skaters
Maxim, who had finished fourth in Wichita, had left Kansas on Monday with U.S. figure skater Anton Spiridonov.
“I wasn’t on the flight, but people I knew were,” Spiridonov said. “Maxim Naumov was not on board—he left Wichita on Monday. We went through airport security together.”
