After U.S. Olympic figure skater Jason Brown placed ninth in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, his hometown of Highland Park, Ill., decided to honor his achievement with a 10-foot ice sculpture.
Mayor Nancy Rotering unveiled the impressive sculpture Wednesday in front of many friends, fans and public officials in downtown Highland Park.
“As far as we’re concerned, he’s already a winner to us, his extended family back here in Highland Park,” Rotering said, via the Chicago Sun-Times.
The 19-year-old quickly became a fan favorite in the Winter Games after he skated to Prince’s “The Question of U” while wearing Prince-style sequined attire.
Led by sculptor Kristopher Duschen, the sculpting team portrayed Brown’s unique performance style by recreating his impeccable I-spin, with his right leg held high in front of his body.
“I am proud to be doing this for him,” Duschen said. “He’s such a sweetheart. You can see how appreciative he is to be in the Olympic Games. You can see it in his eyes. It gives me a great sense of pride to be part of this. It really does.”
Although Brown is not yet home in Illinois to see the sculpture for himself, he seems to be making the most of his remaining time in Sochi.
[tweet https://twitter.com/jasonbskates/status/434799293506285569 align=’center’]
Check out a photo of the towering ice sculpture below.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@nbcsandiego
