Maxim Naumov got here to a cease in the midst of the ice, regarded up on the sky and patted his coronary heart. Then he mouthed just a few phrases, in Russian, to his mother and father:
“That is for you guys. You guys are with me. I like you each.”
Former world pairs champions Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova died in January when their aircraft crashed right into a navy helicopter on method to Washington, D.C., and fell into the icy Potomac River. A complete of 67 individuals had been killed, together with greater than two dozen who had been coming back from a growth camp following the U.S. determine skating championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Maxim Naumov, who completed fourth at nationals, already had returned dwelling. For the reason that crash, he has turn out to be in some ways the face of the tragedy — or a minimum of its impact on the skating neighborhood.
“I don’t suppose I’ve walked by way of a hallway and haven’t given a hug since. And I really feel that help and love,” he mentioned Sunday. “It’s been past something that I may have ever even imagined. And it helps a lot to get by way of at the present time.
“It’s overwhelming,” he mentioned. “Nevertheless it makes my coronary heart so full.”
Naumov, 23, skated in a profit in Washington earlier this month that raised greater than $1.2 million for the victims’ households. Talking to reporters Sunday after performing on the world championships gala, Naumov mentioned the time that he’s on the ice provides his thoughts an opportunity to flee the tragedy.
“As quickly as I hit the ice, my mind simply — I don’t know whether or not it’s focus or simply calmness or stillness or what, but it surely appears like I tune all the pieces out,” he mentioned. “And I’m simply speaking with them, and so they’re serving to me.
“I don’t hear the group. I don’t hear the announcers, I don’t hear something. I simply have this inner dialogue and I’m simply capable of nearly be calm and simply be in my coronary heart,” Naumov mentioned. “They usually’re all the time there, too. And each time I consider them, particularly after I’m on the ice, it actually, actually helps me get by way of.”
The world championships, which had beforehand been scheduled on the dwelling of Boston’s Celtics and Bruins, introduced renewed consideration to the aircraft crash and the century-old Skating Membership of Boston that has been a house for Olympians and leisure skaters alike.
There was a tribute on Wednesday, sandwiched between the day’s two periods, and frequent reminders of the tragedy.
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, who completed sixth in pairs this weekend, held up footage of the Boston membership members who died within the crash: two younger skaters, their moms and the 2 coaches. Reigning U.S. champion Amber Glenn wore a T-shirt honoring the reminiscence of all of the younger skaters who had been misplaced.
Doug Zeghibe, proprietor of The Skating Membership of Boston, mentioned that the crash would have “long-reaching impacts” for the neighborhood and that the membership beforehand misplaced dozens of members in a aircraft crash in 1961.
Ilia Malinin, the “Quad God” who received his second straight world championship on Saturday night time, completed the present on Sunday with a efficiency that he mentioned was devoted to the aircraft crash victims. He got here to the top, red-eyed and choking again tears.
Naumov’s introduction on Sunday recognized him as a member of the Boston membership and included his three fourth-place finishes at nationals. It didn’t point out the crash, however many within the crowd certainly knew his connection: He obtained not solely the well mannered applause that greeted a lot of the different skaters, however a second wave, with people standing to cheer him on.
Sporting unadorned black pants and a shiny black prime, a gold chain flopping round his neck as he glided throughout the ice, Naumov gave a gala efficiency aimed extra at emotion than proof of athletic prowess.
The selection of music, Mac Miller’s posthumous 2020 launch “That’s on Me,” was intentional. Miller died of an unintentional drug overdose in 2018.
“Currently, for some cause — nicely, not for some cause — however these days I’ve simply been listening to Mac Miller’s album ‘Circles.’ Like simply time and again and over,” Naumov mentioned. “And realizing the unlucky story about him as an artist, it’s been very relatable.
“I relate to it, and I really feel actually deeply and emotionally what he’s speaking about in these songs. And it’s additionally been actually useful for me to nearly get my feelings out in that means personally.”
When his skate was over, Naumov took a deep breath, patted his coronary heart once more and waved in every route. His bows had been deep and poignant. Leaving the ice after a one-minute standing ovation, he made the signal of the cross.
“There’s a number of feelings good now, and it’s exhausting to even put a reputation to what I’m feeling presently,” he mentioned. “I simply really feel a lot help, and it’s very overwhelming.
“I’ve a lot gratitude,” Naumov mentioned. “And I’m grateful for each single a type of followers.”
