Figure Skater Maxim Naumov Speaks On Parents Tribute Year After Their Death

Figure skater Maxim Naumov‘s tribute to his parents during the U.S. Figure Skating Championship was deeply emotional … and the 24-year-old spoke about the tear-jerking moment on Wednesday — saying he wishes they were by his side as the judges read his final scores.

Naumov met with the media at The Skating Club of Boston after being named to the U.S. Olympic team over the weekend … and spoke on honoring his parents as he pursued his goals of reaching the most prestigious stage in sports.

Maxim’s parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were tragically killed when their American Airlines flight collided with a military aircraft over the Potomac River while on approach to Ronald Reagan International Airport … an incident that took the lives of 14 members of the U.S. skating community.

Now that Maxim is bound for Italy for the Winter Olympics … what are his thoughts as he gears up to represent his country after everything he endured over the past year?

“It’s in every sense of the word a dream come true,” Naumov said. “The Olympics is the ultimate mountaintop for us as athletes. It’s what we dream about, what we think about when we go to bed. What we think about in the morning.”

“To be able to represent the United States on such a massive level is an honor.”

Maxim is following in his parents’ footsteps … as they represented Russia at the Olympics during their professional skating careers.