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Two Fairfax County athletes are stepping onto the Olympic stage in Italy, with figure skating favorite Ilia Malinin competing Saturday and short-track speedskater Brandon Kim beginning his events Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Malinin, a 2023 Marshall High School graduate, still lives in Vienna and trains at SkateQuest in Reston. Kim, a 2020 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, is making his Olympic debut.
Malinin will perform his short program Saturday during the figure skating team event. The competition is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. in Milan, or 1:45 p.m. Eastern time.
The defending champion United States enters the second day of the three-day team competition ahead of Japan and Italy.
Malinin, 20, arrives as the two-time reigning world champion and overwhelming favorite for the men’s individual gold medal. He has gone undefeated for about two years across tune-up competitions, Grand Prix events and national championships.
His latest world title came in Boston in 2025. Earlier this year in St. Louis, he captured his fourth consecutive national championship. His scores have approached the historic standard set by fellow American Nathan Chen.
The Milan Cortina Games also mark Malinin’s long-awaited Olympic opportunity. He was left off the U.S. team for the 2022 Beijing Games, with his age and limited experience contributing to the decision despite his emerging talent.
U.S. teammate Amber Glenn described Malinin as both exceptionally talented and hardworking, noting that he is the son of two accomplished figure skaters.
Kim will compete in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,500-meter short-track races, along with the mixed relay and men’s 5,000-meter relay.
His first scheduled appearance is in the men’s 1,000-meter qualifying heats at 5:08 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday. The mixed-team relay quarterfinals follow at 5:53 a.m., with the relay finals beginning at 6:48 a.m.
Kim could play an important role in the relay lineup after earning a mixed-team silver medal during the 2026 World Cup season. He has competed at two world championships and won three gold medals at the 2026 competition.
Now a Stanford University student, Kim said his Olympic approach is centered on racing cleanly and intelligently without allowing the pressure to overwhelm him.
NBC holds the U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympics. Some competitions will air on USA Network, while others will be available only through online streaming.