Maxim Naumov is fulfilling a dream his parents long held for him.
Naumov earned a spot on the U.S. figure skating team Sunday after finishing third at the national championships.
The 24-year-old lost both of his parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, in a plane crash last year when a military helicopter collided with a commercial airliner near Washington, D.C.
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After his performances at Nationals over the weekend, an emotional Naumov held a photo of his parents as he received his scores.
“Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics," Naumov said. "It means so much in our family. It's what I've been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can't put this into words.”
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Naumov joins world champion Ilia Malinin and Andrew Torgashev on the men’s team. Malinin is a two-time world champion and the favorite to win gold.
The women’s team will also feature a world champion. Alysa Liu, who finished second at nationals, will compete in Milan alongside three-time national champion Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, who finished third in this weekend's event.
In ice dance, world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates will return to the Olympics after placing fourth in 2022, narrowly missing the podium.
