Lysacek claimed the bronze medal in his first-ever appearance at the event.

“To get a medal at Worlds the first time—not many people have done that,” said Lysacek. “I attribute a lot of that to my coaches who are very experienced. I also attribute it to all the years I spent on the junior circuit.”

Get ready for something new and inventive from Lysacek in the upcoming 2005-06 season opener at the Campbell’s International Figure Skating Classic Oct. 8 in St. Paul, Minn. The 2005 U.S. men’s bronze medalist has been training to full capacity—determined to bring an unforgettable routine to the ice.

Twelve years ago, Lysacek dreamt of hockey stardom. He began ice skating lessons with his sister soon after receiving skates at Christmas from his grandmother.

“I thought, I’ll breeze through this, and then go try out for hockey. Of course they’ll want me on the team,” Lysacek said with a laugh.

A coach took notice of Lysacek’s movement on the ice and later offered to give him private lessons in figure skating. Twelve months later, Lysacek collected his first national title at the juvenile level.

Success continued to be on the side of this promising American skater. Lysacek won the silver at the 2001, 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships. Jumping between the junior and senior levels, Lysacek’s hard work earned him titles at the Junior Grand Prix (JGP) France, JGP Canada and the JGP Final in 2003-04. Competing at the senior level in the same season, he placed fifth at the U.S. National Championships.

“It was an awesome learning experience on the junior circuit,” said Lysacek. “You’re still getting to know yourself and building your self-esteem. It’s a great experience to get to do that on a smaller stage—to be able to make some mistakes.”

It was Lysacek’s 2004-05 season that caught the attention of spectators and judges alike. In addition to a bronze-medal performance at Worlds, Lysacek took third at the U.S. National Championships, first at the Four Continents Championships and claimed the title at the Marshalls’ Challenge.

He makes it look so easy.

Lysacek has competed around several major injuries that still haunt him today. In March of 2004, he suffered a break in his left hip socket that eventually caused a stress fracture in the hip itself as it began healing incorrectly. The injury left Lysacek with only two weeks to get ready for the 2004-05 season.

“Mentally, it was a real test for me—to see if I could pull together in two weeks,” Lysacek said. “I convinced my coaches and parents that I wanted to do it. The injury is still a big part of my life and something that I think about every day. It has made me a lot stronger and realize my love for skating and what I do.”

Lysacek is currently ranked third in the World—the highest-seeded American going into the 2005-06 figure skating season. The motivation to secure a spot on the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team is what keeps Lysacek searching for ways to set himself apart from the competition.

“I’ve been working hard this year to come up with new and exciting stuff to ensure that I make the team,” said Lysacek. “It has been a dream of mine for so many years.”

With enhanced spins and footwork, two new combination jumps and a high-energy performance to the Grease soundtrack, the audience and judges are guaranteed an unforgettable show.

“It’s really different than anything that’s been done before,” Lysacek said. “The choreography is really fun, but very difficult. It’s the most grueling program I’ve ever had. I’ve been working so hard to build up the stamina to execute this program. I hope the audience and the judges really appreciate it.”

Lysacek is not your standard 20-year-old. He took a break from school to train under successful coaching duo Frank Carroll and Ken Congemi in El Segundo, Calif.

“I have zero free time,” said Lysacek. “I run from the gym to the rink, back to the gym, to therapy, to ballet, to the costume maker, then to the music guy. I wish I had time for college, because I miss that aspect of my life. But this is an Olympic year, and I want to know that I gave it all my attention.”

This Olympic hopeful doesn’t let the public’s attention sway his training habits or state-of-mind. Coming off such a successful season last year, Lysacek got a taste of fame and made several appearances in television spots and participated in interviews with newspapers and magazines.

“I worked hard every day and kept in mind what I wanted and what my goals were,” said Lysacek. “I did my best not to think about Worlds and not to think about the attention that was on me at that point. I’m wiping the slate clean—it’s a fresh new start for me. I’m going to have to prove myself all over again.”

Lysacek heads into the 2005-06 figure skating season with one thing on his mind—the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

“This year is an opportunity to achieve something that I’ve been working toward the last decade,” Lysacek said. “All I can do is my best.”