Jason Brown was Joseph Klein's inspiration as a kid - now they're competing side-by-side at the U.S. Championships
Having looked up to the two-time Olympian Brown at their Chicago-area rink as a younger skater, the 18-year-old Klein is making his debut at the senior level at nationals.
Figure Skating
The photos of Joseph Klein with Jason Brown speak for themselves.
Klein, just a kid in them, poses with a wide-as-can-be grin next to Brown, Joseph just half the size of the eventual two-time Olympian and 2015 U.S. champion.
"I remember when he was itty bitty doing single Axels," laughed Brown, now 28, at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships (26-29 January) in San Jose, Calif. "To see him now as a senior man, he looks older, he presents himself as such, and his skating quality is absolutely beautiful. To see him develop from that little kid to where he is now, that's really exciting."
Klein has - for as long as he can remember - looked up to Brown, the two sharing the same training rink in the Chicago area before Brown moved on to facilities in Colorado (where Klein would eventually go, too) and Toronto.
"He's been my idol since I started skating at three years old," a beaming Klein, now 18, said. "I would see him and just think, 'This is who I want to be as a skater.' And now I'm competing against him, which is pretty cool."
Klein did not contend for a medal in San Jose, finishing 13th out of 18 skaters. But the 2021 junior national silver medallist has big hopes for his skating, perhaps even following in the footsteps of his childhood hero.
"I have a lot of goals, but I think at the moment I'm looking more towards the short-term goals because I have a long journey to reach where I want my full successes to be," Klein said. "This year I'm aiming to try and grab one of the spots at the junior world team, and then next year we'll see where I'm at with either junior Grand Prix or senior nationals."
He continued: "Yeah, I mean, in the far future, my ultimate goal is to be on that Worlds team, to be on that Olympic team... But I've got to make my way there."
Klein aims to emulate Jason Brown's 'welcoming aura'
While Klein has Olympic-sized aspirations, he says the Brown's openness and encouragement is what has meant the most to him as a skater from the same club.
"He was the nicest person I had ever met, and I don't think I've met anyone who's more empathetic to everyone around them," Klein said of Brown. "And so growing up as a skater, not only was I striving to reach where he was with his success in his skating, but also just who he was as a person, since he's just amazing."
These U.S. nationals, where he finished with silver, was Brown's return to competition after placing sixth at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Although Klein has been at the previous three U.S. Championships as a junior, it marked the first time he and Jason have been in the same event as seniors.
"I'm thrilled to be able to be at an event with him," said Brown. "It's been fun to see him grow. I've been cheering him on for years, so the fact that he's at nationals is mind-blowing to me. I'm really happy for him."
It's that spirit of leadership that Klein has taken note of from Brown. While he would like to reach the heights of his hero competitively, he hopes to be able to provide a similar example to youngsters in the future.
"I always try my best to create that same aura" as Jason, he explained. "It's welcoming and inviting to all the younger kids, especially. I know the sport is harder for young boys, and I think that he was the person I looked up to as a young boy. And now I'm trying to emulate that position that he gave to me."