Jean-Luc Baker (2012)

Ice dancer and Olympian[10]

What is Jean-Luc Baker (2012) known for?

Jean-Luc Baker, born on October 7, 1993, in Burnley, England, is a consummate ice dancer and Olympian recognized for his significant contributions to the world of figure skating. Baker, a British-American, moved to the United States when he was four and graduated from Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington.

His journey into the realm of ice dancing began in 1995, encouraged by his parents, both of whom were previous figure skating champions representing the United Kingdom. Jean-Luc was no stranger to the rink given his mother, Sharon Jones Baker's participation in the 1988 Winter Olympics and his father, Stephen Baker's competition in the 1976 World Junior Championships.

Jean-Luc Baker's robust ice dancing career includes some remarkable milestones. Alongside his prodigious skating partner, Kaitlin Hawayek, he clinched the title as the 2018 Four Continents Champion and the 2018 NHK Trophy Champion. They also consistently earned the U.S. national bronze medal from 2019 to 2022. Earlier in their career, the dynamic duo secured the 2014 World Junior Championship, were silver medalists at the 2013 Junior Grand Prix Final, and became the 2014 U.S. national junior champions.

Baker's life isn't limited to the ice rink. Interestingly, he is also a black belt in taekwondo. His first name was inspired by the revered fictional character, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, from the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. After leaving high school, he moved to Detroit, Michigan to further pursue his thriving career in ice dancing.

The Kamiak High School alumnus was first introduced to ice skating by his parents. He began his career as an ice dancer in a duo with Joylyn Yang in 2006. Together, they won U.S. national titles on the juvenile and intermediate levels and took the novice bronze medal at the 2010 U.S. Championships. Baker later paired up with Kaitlin Hawayek in June 2012, embarking on a journey that would see them reach the pinnacle of ice dancing.

Their first season, 2012-2013, was a promising start, winning the silver medal in Germany. They continued their upward momentum, taking the junior silver medal at the 2013 U.S. Championships and finishing seventh at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Milan. The 2013-2014 season was the crowning moment of their budding career when they won the world junior title.