Meet the Virginia Athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
By Laura Carter
When the world gathered in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina, a handful of athletes with strong ties to Virginia represented Team USA on the global stage.
While the Commonwealth is not traditionally known for winter sports, several athletes from Northern Virginia and even the ‘Burg proved that Olympic dreams can begin anywhere.
From figure skating and skeleton racing to Paralympic sled hockey, here’s a look at some of the Virginians who competed this year:
Brandon Kim – Short Track Speedskating
Brandon Kim, an Olympic short track speed skater from Fairfax, Virginia had strong performances in international championships and national trials. While at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Kim competed in several short track events.
Short track speedskating is one of the most thrilling Olympic sports, with multiple skaters racing tightly around the rink at high speeds.
Ilia Malinin – Figure Skating
One of the most famous athletes from the 2026 winter games with Virginia roots is Ilia Malinin, a figure skater from Fairfax County who has gained international attention for his incredible technical skills. Known as the “Quad God,” Malinin became the first skater to land a quadruple axel in competition, one of the most difficult jumps in figure skating.
Malinin competed for Team USA in men’s figure skating, helping the United States secure Gold in the Olympic competition. His innovative routines and high-difficulty jumps made him one of the most exciting skaters to watch in Milan-Cortina.
Mystique Ro – Skeleton
Mystique Ro, a Brentsville District High School graduate who grew up in Nokesville, represented Team USA in women’s skeleton, a sliding sport where athletes race head-first down an icy track at high speeds.
Ro’s Olympic appearance marked the culmination of years of training and international competition in the skeleton world circuit.
Virginia at the Paralympics
Virginia was also represented in this year’s Paralympic Games. The Paralympics are international competitions for athletes with physical, visual, or intellectual impairments and feature many of the same sports as the Olympics, adapted for elite para-athletes.
Evan Nichols – Paralympic Sled Hockey
Evan Nichols, of Haymarket, competed for the United States in Paralympic sled hockey. Paralympic sled hockey is an adaptive form of ice hockey designed for athletes with lower body physical disabilities.
Nichols had previously earned a medal in earlier Paralympic competitions and returned in the 2026 Paralympic games as part of Team USA’s sled hockey roster. He is a graduate of Battlefield High School.
Joe Pleban — Paralympic Snowboarder
Joe Pleban, a Fredericksburg native, Attended the 2026 winter Paralympic games as a Snowboarder. Before his start in snowboarding he participated in multiple sports throughout his teen years like swimming, eventually making the top 16 fastest 50-meter freestylers in Virginia. After being diagnosed with a rare joint disease and the amputation of his ankle in 2014, he began running, and snowboarding with his prosthetic. His showing at the 2026 Winter Paralympic games cemented his future in the sport of paralympic snowboarding.
Honorable Mentions
Not every athlete competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics was born in Virginia or competed for Team USA. Still, a number of them have meaningful ties to the Commonwealth, making them well worth a mention here.
Kamryn Lute – Short Track Speedskating
Kamryn Lute, a short track speedskater, also has ties to Virginia. Although she was born in New York, she began speedskating with the Dominion Speedskating Club in Northern Virginia, where she developed the skills that eventually led her to the Olympic stage.
Nicholas Novak — Freestyle Skiing
Nicholas Novak, born in Richmond, is a Czech-American freestyle skier who grew up with a gymnastics focused background. Both of his parents were national team trampolinists who fled communist rule in the 80s settling in Virginia. Novak began skiing his freshman year of high school. He went on to win a bronze medal in the 2018 National Championships.
Novak represented the Czech Republic in men’s aerials at the 2026 winter Olympics as the sole male aerialist for Czechia.
Virginia’s Growing Olympic Presence
Altogether, seven athletes with ties to Virginia participated in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, representing our state in sports ranging from figure skating to skeleton and sled hockey.
Although Virginia doesn’t boast major winter training centers like Colorado or Utah, the success of these athletes highlights how dedication, training programs, and local sports clubs can help produce world-class competitors.
Inspiring the Next Generation
For young athletes across the state, including those here in the Fredericksburg region, seeing Virginians compete in the Olympic games is a reminder that big dreams can start in local rinks, gyms, and training facilities.
Whether it’s figure skating lessons, speedskating clubs, or simply cheering on Team USA, the 2026 Winter Games showed that Virginia talent can shine on the world stage.
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