Figure skating coaches and former world pairs champions Vadim Naumov, aged 55, and Evgenia Shishkova, aged 52, are among those believed to have perished in the tragic aircraft collision in Washington on Wednesday.
Doug Zeghibe, the executive director of the Skating Club of Boston, confirmed that the two coaches were on the flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington. He characterized the couple, who were married, as “exceptional coaches” and noted that they had been affiliated with the club since 2017.
They played a significant role in the development of the competitive skating program at the Skating Club of Boston, Zeghibe remarked during a press conference. “The loss of coaches of this caliber signifies a setback for the future of the sport as well.”
Naumov and Shishkova, who were born and raised in Russia, emerged as one of the country’s premier pairs teams in the early 1990s. They secured the world championship title in 1994 and participated in two Winter Olympic Games, achieving a fifth-place finish in 1992 and a fourth-place finish in 1994.
Ludmila Velikova, who coached the duo during their childhood, expressed to Reuters that they were “exceptionally talented and remarkable individuals.”
Velikova expressed her deep sorrow to the news agency, stating, “They were akin to my own children. What has transpired is tragic. We have lost the finest individuals.”
Zeghibe characterized Naumov as a “traditional coach” and praised Shishkova for her remarkable resilience. “It was impossible to see Evgenia without breaking into a smile,” he remarked. The two coaches took great pride in mentoring their son, Maxim Naumov, who achieved a commendable fourth place at the U.S. national championships held in Wichita on Sunday. Zeghibe noted that Maxim returned to Boston with him on Monday, thus avoiding the ill-fated flight that collided with a military helicopter two days later.
“It is well known that his mother was always too anxious to watch him skate,” Zeghibe said, struggling to hold back tears. “However, his father was present, and he was in the kiss-and-cry area on Sunday, celebrating his outstanding performance.”