Lucas Broussard after winning silver at the 2022 Junior Grand Prix Final.
Lucas Broussard certainly had his share of ups and downs in 2022.
The 16-year-old from Seattle withdrew from the 2022 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships after testing positive for COVID in January. After his recovery, Broussard rebounded with a win at the Junior World qualifier in Boston. The win was followed by a back injury, which led to Broussard's withdrawal from the Junior World Championships.
"[The back injury] really took me out for a while. It was like three months of no skating and four months of no jumping," Broussard explained. "Once I was able to get back to the ice, it was hard. The jumps were a big struggle."
After months of rehabilitation, the 2019 U.S. juvenile champion surprised himself by not only winning gold at both of his Junior Grand Prix assignments in Poland and Italy but, also, silver at the Junior Grand Prix Final.
"I was a lot more confident for the [Junior Grand Prix] Final, and I think it showed," Broussard said. "My short was my best performance, and I was so proud. Every triple Axel was exactly as good as it gets for me, and the footwork was good. It really all came together and showed what I was capable of.
The teenager, who trains with the Kraken Skating Academy at the new Kraken Community Iceplex, has always gravitated toward the artistic aspects of the sport. These past few years, he has worked on his flow out of jumps as well as his arm movements to be a well-rounded skater.
"There's nothing more satisfying than landing a really good triple Lutz-triple toe and having good flow out of it," Broussard said. "It's a really good confidence booster!"
Despite struggling to regain his jumps and consistency during recovery post-back injury, Broussard and his team found his skating had matured in other ways and supported his return skating internationally. But, when Broussard first returned to competing, the Grand Prix series was originally not a part of it.
"My coach Darin [Hosier] was advocating for me to go, but I didn't even find out until the week before I left that I would be going to Poland," Broussard shared. "I had no expectations going into the competition. Then, I won, and it was a shock."
For the 2022-23 season, Broussard chose to skate to "Adios Nonino" by Forever Tango for his short program and "The Leftovers" by Max Richter and "Compassion" by Ilya Beshevli for his free skate. "Adios Nonino" was notably used by 2010 Olympic Champion Yuna Kim in 2014 and has served as inspiration for Broussard this season.
"I don't think I do it to her caliber," Broussard started. "But, I would say it has definitely been a strong program. In the program, I am supposed to be tangoing with a partner, so I look like I'm pressing away from somebody."
After leaving Poland, Broussard got sick and had doubts heading into his second Junior Grand Prix assignment in Italy. Nonetheless, Broussard repeated a magical performance, won and became the only man to win two Junior Grand Prix competitions this season.
At the Junior Grand Prix Final, Broussard set a new personal best in the short program, but felt more nervous going into his free skate and followed a clean performance from Italy's Nikolaj Memola, who would win gold. Nonetheless, Broussard had another strong performance, setting another personal best, and placed second with an overall personal best of 220.43.
Now, knowing what he is capable of, Broussard is looking to claim the junior U.S. championship title in San Jose, California. The self-proclaimed Starbucks aficionado is training off-ice with ballet, weights and biking to enhance his artistry and cardio. On the ice, he is improving his spins – in hopes of higher marks at the U.S. Championships – and hopes to include an ambitious jump passage.
"My goal is to add my quad toe to my long program, which is a pretty big change," said Broussard, who took time away from the quad while battling a hip injury. "Practicing it has been up and down. … So, we'll see if it does end up going into the program."
With Broussard's winning streak and his continuous hard work, there is no doubt he is a force to be reckoned with when he takes the ice in San Jose at the end of the month. As demonstrated by the young skater, he has been full of surprises this season and has come back stronger after each illness and injury encountered.
Lucas Broussard will take the ice in the junior men's event at the 2023 Toyota U.S. Championships in San Jose, California, January 23-29. To watch Broussard in person, purchase your tickets on the event page's competition central.
