Article Text

Two Fairfax County Public Schools graduates are representing Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, competing in figure skating and short track speedskating.

Ilia Malinin, a Vienna resident and 2023 Marshall High School graduate, is making his Winter Olympics debut after serving as an alternate for the 2022 Beijing Games.

Nicknamed “The Quad God,” Malinin has expanded the boundaries of figure skating by landing six quadruple jumps in competition. His achievements include the quadruple axel, considered the sport’s most difficult jump, and becoming the first athlete to land all six types of quadruple jumps in one program.

Brandon Kim, a 2020 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, is competing in short track speedskating. While attending TJHSST, Kim earned a bronze medal at the World Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships. He later represented the United States at two world championships.

Kim attends Stanford University, which does not have an on-campus ice rink, limiting his training opportunities while he studies. He took a year away from school to prepare for the 2026 Olympics while also studying for the MCAT. After graduating, he plans to attend medical school and specialize in orthopedics or neurosurgery, pursuing his goal of becoming a doctor like his father.

The two athletes continue a recent FCPS presence in Olympic ice sports. South Lakes High School graduate Maame Biney competed in her second Winter Olympics in 2022. In her first Olympic appearance, she became the first Black woman and youngest skater to represent the United States in women’s Olympic short track speedskating.

FCPS is also expanding its athletics offerings ahead of another Olympic debut. Girls flag football, which will join the Summer Olympics in 2028, is now available through a partnership with the Washington Commanders as the sport grows nationally and attracts more college scholarship opportunities.