FCPS Excellence on Display at the Olympics

Ilia Malinin in the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Men’s Free Skate (above). Photo credit: Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating.

Ilia Malinin skating in the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Men's Short Program. — *Ilia Malinin is the first athlete to successfully land each of the six types of quadruple jumps in one program. Photo credit: Melanie Heaney/U.S. Figure Skating*

As Team USA prepares for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Team FCPS is celebrating two alumni whose dedication has carried them from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to the world stage. These Olympians’ journeys represent the potential within each student across FCPS to achieve their dreams.

One of those Olympians is Ilia Malinin, a 2023 graduate of Marshall High School and a Vienna resident, who will compete in figure skating at his first Winter Olympics after being an alternate for the 2022 Beijing Games. Known as “The Quad God,” Ilia has pushed the sport’s limits by landing a record six quad jumps in competition, including the quadruple axel, the most difficult jump in figure skating.

Also representing Team USA is Brandon Kim, a 2020 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), who will compete in short track speedskating. Brandon earned a bronze medal at the World Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships as a TJHSST junior and has since represented the United States at two world championships.

FCPS is no stranger to excellence on the ice. As recently as 2022, South Lakes High School graduate Maame Biney competed in her second Winter Olympics . Her first was in 2017, when she was the first Black woman and the youngest skater to represent the U.S. in Olympic women’s short-track speed skating.

Brandon Kim competes in short track speedskating. — Brandon balances his studies with limited training since Stanford University does not have an on-campus ice rink. He took a year off to prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games while studying for the MCATs. *Photo credit: US Speedskating*

These athletes are shining examples of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation. It states that every student will graduate ready to thrive in life after high school and with the skills to navigate, adapt, and innovate for a sustainable future.

Brandon, for example, currently attends Stanford University. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school, specializing in orthopedics or neurosurgery. This would fulfill his second dream to become a doctor like his father.

Check out the video below from four years ago when Ilia was first alternate for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Expanding Access to Athletics

The accomplishments of these athletes highlight our commitment to developing well-rounded students and expanding access to athletics. Looking ahead, we are preparing students for future Olympic opportunities.

Girls flag football will debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics. And thanks to a partnership with the Washington Commanders, it is now one of the athletic programs we offer at FCPS. The debut of Girls Flag Football at FCPS reflects the sport’s rapid national growth and increasing college scholarship opportunities.