Olympic ice dancers Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, who had taken a leave of absence due to mental health issues recently, withdrawn from both of their Grand Prix assignments on Wednesday following a fall during practice that left Baker with a concussion.
After winning the NHK Trophy in 2018—their lone senior-level Grand Prix victory—Hawayek and Baker intended to return at the Grand Prix de France. Although Baker’s recuperation is doing nicely, they have chosen to take an extended break and plan to make a comeback at the U.S. championships in January, they stated in a joint statement.
Hawayek and Baker wrote in their statement, “As a team, this year has been full of ups and downs.”
After Hawayek unintentionally hit Baker during practice in 2015, he suffered a concussion; yet, they went on to place fourth at Skate America. The two had to withdraw from the Finlandia Trophy when he suffered another injury in 2018, but they were back in time for the Grand Prix season.
Hawayek suffered a concussion two years ago during practice after tripping over a lift. The pair pulled out of the NHK Trophy and the U.S. Classic, but they made a comeback at the Rostelecom Cup, which they utilized as a launchpad to finish third at nationals and earn a seat on the Olympic squad, placing 11th at the Beijing Games.
Hawayek and Baker declared in January of last year that they would be retiring before the national team due to “severe physical injuries that have led to challenges in our mental health.” They petitioned successfully to be on the U.S. team for the global championships, but they also declared in February that they were pulling out of that competition.
American bronze medalists Hawayek and Baker have won four times. They have also finished in the top 10 in worlds four times.
In their statement, Hawayek and Baker added, “We have had to be more patient than expected this past year, but our passion to compete is still very much present.” Our goal is to participate at the national championships once more, where we will have the greatest advantage possible.
