American figure skater Maxim Naumov wants fellow Team USA competitor Ilia Malinin to know that the whole skating community is behind him after his devastating eighth-place finish in the men’s singles event.
“We’ve got his back no matter what,” Naumov told “TODAY” on Monday.
Naumov said that he saw Malinin in the Olympic Village after the competition when the gold medal favorite fell multiple times during his routine.
“I really just want him to know that we love him, and we care about him,” Naumov said. “His performance and what he did on the ice that day in the free program, it doesn’t define him. In those moments, it’s how you respond, and knowing him, I know that he’s going to be OK.”
Naumov is no stranger to this resilient mentality.
The figure skater made it to the Milan Cortina Games after losing both his parents in a plane crash last year. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadimaaum Naumov won a world championship title together in pairs skating in 1994 and narrowly missed out on Olympic medals that year at the Lillehammer Games before moving to the U.S. and coaching generations of young skaters in New England.
Naumov pushed himself to qualify for the competition by remembering their Olympic dreams for him, and he dedicated his performance in the men’s singles competition to them.
“I wanted so badly to be like them and to be able to finally bring that to fruition, it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Naumov told “TODAY.”
During last week’s men’s singles figure skating events, Naumov had to put his grief aside and rise to the occasion. The figure skater said a mantra from his parents comforted and motivated him during his emotional Olympic debut.
“Ever since I was a kid, we always said ‘put everything out there on the ice,’ with all your energy, all your passion, and that’s what’s going to help you get through it,” Naumov said.
“The hard work is done at home, and when you’re out there, you have to go out and enjoy it and soak in the moment,” he said.
The 24-year-old figure skater got on his knees after completing his routine in the men’s single figure skating short program Tuesday night, soaking in his Olympic moment.
He looked above and said, “Look what we just did,” before holding a photo of his late parents while his score was read aloud.
Leave a Reply