Ice skater who lost parents in Washington D.C. plane crash breaks down after paying heartbreaking tribute in routine

Just over a month since his parents died in the devastating American Airlines crash, figure skater Maxim Naumov has paid tribute to the pair in a heartbreaking routine.

Attending an event organised this weekend titled Legacy on Ice in honour of the lives lost in the accident, the 23-year-old performed a solo to 'Ave Maria' in tribute to his late mother Evgenia 'Zhenya' Shishkova and father Vadim Naumov.

The couple tragically died on 29 Jan after a commercial American Airlines flight travelling from Kansas to Washington D.C. collided in the air with a military helicopter, resulting in both aircrafts crashing in the Potomac River.

A total of 67 passengers died in the collision - including three that were travelling in the Black Hawk chopper.

28 of those killed had been members of the figure skating community.

Evgenia, 52, and Vadim, 55 - who themselves were 1994 world champions in pairs skating - had remained in Kansas several after watching their son skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

They'd helped out by coaching the U.S. National Development Camp as part of their affiliation with The Skating Club of Boston, but tragically died during the collision - as per US Weekly.

This week, therefore, an event was held this weekend (2 Mar) in order to raise money for the victims' families, as well as for the first responders who attended the scene in the wake of the crash.

The sportsman honoured his parents with an emotional routine (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Amongst those to perform on the night was Naumov, who dropped to his knees following the routine - which was done to his parents' favourite song - before bursting into floods of tears.

Crowds of thousands of spectators took to their feet to applaud the sportsman, many of whom were left crying with him.

A video of the routine - which has since gone viral on social media - saw Naumov start the performance by carrying two white roses onto the ice with him, placing them onto a table which had been lade with the same flower.

At the end of the performance, the skater became emotional and was seen wiping his eyes before exiting the ice whilst holding a candle.

The high-profile event was attended by a handful of former Olympic skating champions, including former Team USA member Johnny Weir, who discussed Naumov's tribute in conversation with press.

Naumov's parents died in the collision (Photo Courtesy Skating Club of Boston)

The 40-year-old athlete subsequently told PEOPLE Magazine of the loss caused by the crash: "I think that when you're an athlete, you're taught to have ice in your veins and to push through anything that affects your community.

"And ours is so small that even if you don't know everybody, you know them all. They're all family in some way."

Weir added: "There are so many little skaters out there, so I want to show them that it's okay to continue and to dream and to sparkle for the people that we've lost.

"Losing these skaters, we lost a generation of dreamers."

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