Among these athletes are Illia Malinin and Brandon Kim, who are both from the NOVA region and went on a journey to compete in the 2026 Milan Winter Olympic Games.
Malinin, who graduated from Marshall High School, figure skated competitively in his high school years and soon later became recognized as one of the most advanced and accomplished athletes to ever graduate from FCPS.
At the time, Malinin was recognized as a student who was athletically dedicated and talented. After Illia became the first person to ever land a ratified quad axel in any International figure skating competition, he became known as the “Quad God”.
A ratified quad axel is a jump which consists of four and one half rotations in the air, making it one of the most complex and difficult elements to master in figure skating.
“A while ago both his parents were my coaches and both of Illia’s parents actually taught me how to skate,” sophomore Azu Haq said. “I remember first being at her class around the age of six, so as time went on, and he improved more and more, I saw him walking around less and practicing more. I got to see the extent of his commitment.”
Soon after this major accomplishment, Malinin not only brought attention to himself, but also added to the awareness of figure skating and inspired students across the county.
“I have been skating for over 12 years, so seeing someone represent both the sport and the school community at such a high level is very inspiring,” senior Allison Rho said.
Out of all winter sports, short track speed skating is one of the fastest and most strategic of all. Short track speed skating is a sport where professional and trained skaters race on a track often at extremely high speeds.
Brandon Kim, graduate of Westfield High School, not only speed skated competitively but took it to the next level by competing in the Winter Olympics. Kim built skills as a result of years of dedication, training, and competition.
During Kim’s time at Westfield High School, he was able to balance academic pressure and his intense training schedule which is required for any sport, especially for individuals who compete at an advanced level.
Kim’s journey reflects not only the profound amount of determination and perseverance which is necessary to compete in a sport but also how it can change results.
“It shows how much hard work, discipline and dedication it takes to balance both athletics and academics,” Rho said.
These competitors from the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics set a great example and inspire other student athletes. The achievements of Malinin and Kim have helped in bringing recognition to skating within the Fairfax County community.
Both figure skating and short speed skating are sports which are very niche and seeing local athletes succeed to such a great extent, has encouraged students to learn about and watch the sport more.
“As a student who does figure skating, I feel so excited seeing these skaters accomplish such a big thing and not only because they deserve it so much, but it also gives figure skating more recognition which makes me so thrilled,” freshman Leena Melkote said. “Usually people wouldn’t think of figure skating, but because of the big wins recently, it’s been gaining so much more recognition which somehow makes me feel so loved because I am so passionate about it.”
