Maxim Naumov Shares Heartfelt Message For Ilia Malinin: It Does Not Define Who He Is

Access Hollywood’s Scott Evans spoke to Maxim Naumov in Milan where he candidly discussed what it feels like competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics just a year after his parents died when an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines plane over Washington, D.C. He also reflected on why it’s important for him to have a photo of his parents with him. Maxim also reflected about his teammate Ilia Malinin, who was a favorite to medal but ended up finishing in eighth in the free skate. Ilia later shared in a press conference how negative thoughts and the pressure of the Olympics affected his performance. “My heart goes out to Ilia, the expectation to just produce this one thing, a lot of times skaters and just athletes in general, their performance is so tied in with their self-worth that it is a massive blow to us personally,” Maxim said. Adding, “I just want Ilia to know that his performance and his, what he did in this competition does not change how much we love and care about him and who he is as a person, that’s the person that I want him to be proud of no matter what. He’s an inspiration to all of us, even in times like this when he still showed great sportsmanship, that’s why I think mental health is so important, it’s so important for everybody but especially for athletes, I mean, a lot of times just not knowing or not being educated or not being able to talk about the feelings inside, I can’t imagine what was going through his mind when it all happened.” Watch the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics on NBC and Peacock.