TALLINN, Estonia – The tragic plane crash involving an American Airlines flight has resulted in the loss of two highly regarded Russian figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. This couple, who were both two-time Olympians and former world champions in pairs skating, had dedicated their careers to the sport and had a son who recently placed fourth at the U.S. national championships in Wichita, Kansas. Fortunately, their son was not on the ill-fated flight.
Shishkova and Naumov made a remarkable mark in figure skating when they secured a world championship title in 1994, shortly after missing out on Olympic medals at the Lillehammer Games the same year. Following their competitive careers, they relocated to the U.S. where they imparted their knowledge and skills to numerous aspiring young skaters in New England.
Following their son Maxim Naumov’s participation in the national championships, the couple, aged 52 and 55, remained in Wichita to take part in a development camp aimed at nurturing some of the nation’s top emerging talent in skating. Unfortunately, the airplane they boarded collided with an Army helicopter near Washington late Wednesday night, plunging into the icy waters of the Potomac River. The flight had 60 passengers and four crew members onboard, along with three soldiers on the Blackhawk helicopter. Hopes for recovery of any survivors faded by dawn the following day.
Confirmation of their presence on the flight came from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday morning, with the Skating Club of Boston, where they coached, announcing that Shishkova and Naumov had tragically passed away. “We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” stated Peskov.
Additionally, two young figure skaters and their mothers connected to the Boston club were also involved in this tragic incident. Lyudmila Velikova, the former coach of Shishkova and Naumov, mentioned that she had maintained regular contact with them and had spoken just before last week’s competitions in Kansas. Velikova noted the couple’s thriving coaching career, expressing her admiration for their ability to attract talented students.
Shishkova and Naumov started their figure skating journey together back in the 1980s while still in the Soviet Union. Their most notable achievement was winning the world championship gold medal in Chiba, Japan, in 1994, just over a month after narrowly missing Olympic medals that same year. Their impact on the sport earned them respect and affection from many, including U.S. skaters Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov, who shared their memories of the couple, highlighting their exceptional qualities as individuals and coaches.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many Russian skaters like Shishkova and Naumov transitioned to coaching in the U.S., where they continued to develop future generations of skaters. The couple’s profiles on the Skating Club of Boston’s website indicated that both were qualified sports instructors from St. Petersburg and brought over two decades of coaching experience, having also contributed at the International Skating Center of Connecticut.
Among their most talented pupils was their son, who held the title of U.S. junior men’s champion in 2020. Recently, he was selected to represent the U.S. at the upcoming Four Continents Championships in South Korea and was named as an alternate for the world championships in Boston this coming March.
The Russian skating federation expressed its sorrow regarding the incident, stating, “The Russian Figure Skating Federation, along with Russian skaters, coaches, judges, and experts, are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy which has occurred in Washington. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who perished, as well as to the U.S. Figure Skating Association, which has also lost talented junior athletes and capable coaches in this unfortunate air disaster.”
