Vanessa James

Vanessa James
James and Ciprès at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy
Personal information
Country represented France
Former country(ies) represented United Kingdom
Born (1987-09-27) 27 September 1987
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Residence Charenton-le-Pont
Height 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Partner Morgan Ciprès
Former partner Yannick Bonheur, Hamish Gaman
Coach John Zimmerman, Jeremy Barrett
Former coach Claude Thévenard, Jean-Roland Racle, Sergei Zaitsev, Vivien Rolland, Karl Kurtz, Priscilla Hill
Choreographer John Kerr, Silvia Fontana
Former choreographer Line Haddad, Dominique Molina, Sergei Zaitsev, Olivia Candeloro, Alexei Pelexei
Skating club Francais Volants
Training locations Coral Springs, Florida
Former training locations Paris-Bercy
Dammarie-lès-Lys
Indianapolis
Newark, Delaware
Began skating 1998
World standing Pairs with Ciprès
6 (2017–18)
6 (2016–17)
9 (2015–16)
11 (2014–15)
11 (2013–14)
11 (2012–13)
30 (2011–12)
- (2010–11)
Pairs with Bonheur
28 (2009–10)
51 (2008–09)
- (2007–08)
Ladies' singles
178 (2009–10)
120 (2008–09)
120 (2007–08)
ISU personal best scores
Combined total 222.59
2017 World Team Trophy
Short program 75.72
2017 World Team Trophy
Free skate 146.87
2017 World Team Trophy
Medal record
Representing  France
Figure skating: Pairs
World Championships
2018 MilanPairs
European Championships
2017 OstravaPairs
Winter Universiade
2015 GranadaPairs

Vanessa James (born 27 September 1987) is a French pair skater. With her skating partner, Morgan Ciprès, she is the 2018 World bronze medalist, the 2017 European bronze medalist and a five-time French national champion. They have also won medals in Grand Prix and Challenger Series competitions.

With earlier partner Yannick Bonheur, James represented France at the 2010 Winter Olympics, placing 14th. She is also the 2006 British national champion in single skating.

Personal life

Vanessa James was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.[1] She lived in Bermuda until age 10 when her family moved to Virginia in the United States.[2] She lived in the U.S. through 2007, holding an American permanent residence card, and then moved to Paris, France.[3] Her father is from Bermuda, which enabled James to hold British citizenship. She became a French citizen in December 2009.[4] Her twin sister, Melyssa James, has also competed in figure skating.[2]

Career

Early years

Vanessa James began skating with her sister after watching the 1998 Winter Olympics.[2] She originally competed domestically in the United States and represented the Washington Figure Skating Club.

In 2005, James began representing the United Kingdom internationally. She won gold at the 2006 British Championships and silver in 2007, becoming the first British figure skating champion of Black African descent.[5] She competed for Britain on the 2006 ISU Junior Grand Prix and at the 2007 World Junior Championships. Her last event as a singles skater was the 2007 International Cup of Nice, where she won the bronze medal.

In late 2007, James switched to pair skating, partnering briefly with British skater Hamish Gaman.[5] She teamed up with French skater Yannick Bonheur in December 2007, after a three-day tryout in Paris.[3]

2008–2009 season: Debut of James/Bonheur

Making their international debut, James/Bonheur placed 7th in November at their Grand Prix assignment, the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard. They ranked 10th at the 2009 European Championships, which took place in January in Helsinki, Finland.

In March, James/Bonheur finished 12th at the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles, California, United States. Due to their result, France qualified a spot in the pairs' event at the next Olympics. In April, they competed at the 2009 World Team Trophy in Tokyo, Japan.

2009–2010 season: Vancouver Olympics

James/Bonheur opened their season at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, where they placed 6th. They were invited to two Grand Prix events, the 2009 Cup of China and 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard, and finished 8th at both. At the 2010 French Championships, they ranked second in the short program and first in the free skate. They won the title, outscoring the silver medalists Adeline Canac / Maximin Coia by 3.69 points.

In January, James/Bonheur placed 7th at the 2010 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. In February, they represented France at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; they placed 15th in the short program, 14th in the free skate, and 14th overall. James/Bonheur were the first black pair to compete at the Olympics.[6] Their final competition together was the 2010 World Championships, held in March in Turin, Italy. They placed 10th in the short, 13th in the free, and 12th overall. They ended their partnership in spring 2010.[7]

2010–2011 season

In May 2010, James had a successful tryout with Maximin Coia and the two agreed to train in Germany with Ingo Steuer, but several weeks later Coia decided to end his amateur career.[8]

In September 2010, James began a partnership with Morgan Ciprès, until then a singles skater.[7][9] They made no competitive appearances in their first season as Ciprès learned pairs elements.[10]

2011–2012 season: Debut of James/Ciprès

James/Ciprès made their competitive debut in late September 2011, finishing 5th at the 2011 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. After placing 5th at the 2011 Coupe de Nice, the pair finished 8th at their first Grand Prix together, the 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard. At the 2012 French Championships, they ranked first in the short program and second in the free skate. With a total score 8.92 points lower than Daria Popova / Bruno Massot, James/Ciprès received the silver medal.

Finishing sixth overall, James/Ciprès were the best French pair (outscoring Popova/Massot by almost 12 points) at the 2012 European Championships in Sheffield, England. They were granted France's lone spot in pairs at the 2012 World Championships in Nice, France. In Nice, the two qualified to the final segment and finished 16th overall.

2012–2013 season

James/Ciprès won the bronze medal at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy — it was their first international medal as a pair.[11] Their 2012 Grand Prix assignments were Skate America, where they placed fourth, and the Trophee Eric Bompard, where they came in sixth. James/Ciprès won another international medal at the 2012 NRW Trophy and followed that with their first national title, in December.

In January, James/Ciprès came in fourth at the 2013 European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. After taking gold at the 2013 International Challenge Cup, they placed eighth at the 2013 World Championships in London, Ontario. Due to their result in Canada, they qualified a spot for France in the pairs' event at the Sochi Olympics.

2013–2014 season: Sochi Olympics

James/Ciprès were again assigned to Skate America and the Trophee Eric Bompard. Ciprès, however, underwent surgery after a wrist injury and had to avoid lifts for a period, causing the pair to withdraw from Skate America.[12][13] They were able to compete at the Trophee Eric Bompard and placed fifth. The pair then successfully defended their national title.

At the 2014 Europeans, James/Ciprès set personal best scores in both segments of the competition and came in fifth. They were named in the French team to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where they placed 10th in the pairs event and 6th in the team event.

2014–2015 season

James/Ciprès finished fourth at the 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and fifth at both of their Grand Prix assignments, the 2014 Skate Canada International and 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard. They then placed fifth at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm and ninth at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai.

2015–2016 season: First Grand Prix medal

James/Ciprès began their season with a bronze medal at the 2015 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They placed second in the short program at the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard before the event's cancellation due to the November 2015 Paris attacks. The ISU deemed those placements to be the final results, awarding James/Ciprès their first Grand Prix medal, silver. The pair finished fourth at the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava and tenth at the 2016 World Championships in Boston. At the end of the season, they concluded that they needed a major change if they were to continue competing.[14]

2016–2017 season: European bronze medal

In June 2016, James/Ciprès relocated to Coral Springs, Florida, to be coached by John Zimmerman and Jeremy Barrett.[15][16][17] After taking silver at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International, the pair competed at two Grand Prix events; they finished fourth at the 2016 Skate America and won the bronze medal at the 2016 Trophée de France.

In January 2017, James/Ciprès won the bronze medal at the European Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic,[18][19] becoming the first French pair in fourteen years to medal at the event[20] (since 2003, when Sarah Abitbol / Stéphane Bernadis took silver).

In March, James/Ciprès placed 10th in the short program, 6th in the free skate, and 8th overall at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. The following month, they competed as part of Team France at the 2017 World Team Trophy in Tokyo, Japan; although their team finished sixth overall, the pair scored personal bests and placed first in both segments of the pairs' event, ahead of Russia's Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov.

Reflecting on their progress as a team, James said, "Our main problem [before] was that we were two different people on the ice. We needed to change that and to increase the connection between the two of us."[21]

2017–2018 season: PyeongChang Olympics and World bronze medal

James/Ciprès began their season with gold at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic International. They then won medals at both of their Grand Prix assignments, taking bronze at the 2017 Skate Canada International and silver at the 2017 Internationaux de France. They finished as the first alternates for the Grand Prix Final. At the 2018 European Championships in Moscow, the pair placed first in the short program, fourth in the free skate, and fourth overall — 0.01 shy of the podium. They received a small gold medal for their short program.

James/Ciprès were named in France's team to the 2018 Winter Olympics, which took place in February in Pyeongchang, South Korea.[22] During the team event, they placed 6th in their segment and Team France finished 10th. In the regular pairs event, they placed 6th in the short, 5th in the free, and 5th overall. In March, they became the first French pair in 18 years to stand on the World podium (since 2000), winning the bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships in Milan, Italy.

2018–2019 season

James/Ciprès won gold at their first event of the season, the 2018 CS Autumn Classic International.

Programs

With Ciprès

James and Ciprès at the 2016 European Championships
James and Ciprès compete in 2012
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2018–2019
[23]
2017–2018
[24]
2016–2017
[17][16]
2015–2016
[27]
2014–2015
[28]
  • Scared of Lonely
    by Beyoncé
2013–2014
[29]
2012–2013
[30]
  • Rhumba d'Amour
  • Safri Duo
2011–2012
[9]

With Bonheur

James and Bonheur at the 2010 Olympics
Season Short program Free skating
2009–2010
[31]
2008–2009
[32]
  • Romeo and Juliet

Singles career

Season Short program Free skating
2006–2007
[33]

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Pairs with Ciprès for France

International[34]
Event 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19
Olympics10th5th
Worlds16th8th10th9th10th8th3rd
Europeans6th4th5th5th4th3rd4th
GP France8th6th5th5th2nd3rd2ndTBD
GP NHK Trophy6th
GP Skate Canada5th3rdTBD
GP Skate America4thWD4th
CS Autumn Classic2nd1st1st
CS Nebelhorn4th3rd
Challenge Cup1st
Cup of Nice5th
Cup of Tyrol2nd
Denkova-Staviski1st
Nebelhorn Trophy3rd
Nepela Memorial5th
NRW Trophy3rd
Universiade3rd
National[34]
French Champ.2nd1st1st1st1st1stWD
Masters1st1st
Team events
Olympics6th T
7th P		10th T
6th P
World Team
Trophy		6th T
4th P		6th T
5th P		6th T
1st P
TBD = Assigned, WD = Withdrew
T = Team result, P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

Pairs with Bonheur for France

James and Bonheur at the 2010 Europeans
International[35]
Event 2008–09 2009–10
Olympics14th
Worlds12th12th
Europeans10th7th
GP Cup of China8th
GP Trophée Bompard7th8th
Nebelhorn Trophy6th
National[35]
French Champ.WD1st
Masters2nd
WD = Withdrew

Ladies' singles

James as a single skater in 2006
International[36]
Event 02–03
(USA)		 03–04
(USA)		 04–05
(USA)		 05–06
(UK)		 06–07
(UK)		 07–08
(UK)
Cup of Nice3rd
International: Junior[36]
World Junior Champ.27th
JGP Netherlands8th
National[36]
British Championships1st2nd
Eastern Sectionals6th J
South Atlantic Regionals8th N4th J5th J
Levels: N = Novice; J = Junior

Detailed results

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.

With Ciprès

2017–18 season
Date Event SP FS Total
21–24 March 2018 2018 World Championships 3
75.32		 3
143.04		 3
218.36
14–25 February 2018 2018 Winter Olympics 6
75.34		 5
143.19		 5
218.53
9–12 February 2018 2018 Winter Olympics (Team event) 6
68.49
10
27–29 October 2017 2017 Skate Canada International 3
73.04		 2
141.33		 2
214.37
2016–17 season
Date Event SP FS Total
29 March – 2 April 2017 2017 World Championships 10
70.10		 6
134.58		 8
204.68
25–29 January 2017 2017 European Championships 2
74.18		 3
145.84		 3
220.02

References

  1. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2018/2019". International Skating Union.
  2. 1 2 3 Hunter, Kyle (24 December 2009). "Former MSA student set for Winter Games". The Royal Gazette. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 Clarey, Christopher (27 January 2010). "From Online to the Olympics, Pairs Skaters Click". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ "Patinage artistique : Vanessa James naturalisée française pour les JO 2010" [Figure skating: Vanessa James naturalized as a French citizen for the 2010 Olympic Games]. Agence France-Presse (in French). Google News. 23 December 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010.
  5. 1 2 Stevenson, Sandra (10 January 2008). "Vanessa James wants to represent France". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  6. ↑ Jones, Jeff (16 February 2010). "First black Olympic figure skating pair electrify crowd". Reuters.
  7. 1 2 "James et Ciprès promis à un bel avenir" [James and Ciprès have a bright future]. Le Parisien (in French). 18 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Patinage Magazine (in French). Rouen: Media-Loisirs (123). July–September 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. 1 2 "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012.
  10. ↑ Berlot, Jean-Christophe (10 October 2011). "France's finest turn out for French Masters". Icenetwork. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Flade, Tatjana (30 September 2012). "2012 Nebelhorn Trophy". Golden Skate.
  12. ↑ "James / Cipres absents au Skate America mais presents aux Master's de Orleans" [James/Cipres to miss Skate America but will compete at Master's de Orleans] (PDF) (in French). FFSG. 30 September 2013. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014.
  13. ↑ Berlot, Jean-Christophe (12 November 2013). "Paris welcomes fifth stage in Grand Prix Series". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
  14. ↑ Flade, Tatjana (26 May 2017). "Breakthrough motivates France's James and Ciprès". Golden Skate.
  15. ↑ Berlot, Jean-Christophe (25 January 2017). "Zimmerman's tutelage guiding James, Ciprès". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018.
  16. 1 2 Smith, Beverley (27 January 2017). "James and Cipres turn a corner". Archived from the original on 22 September 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017.
  18. ↑ "Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès : «C'était vraiment magique»" [Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès: "It was truly magical"]. L'Équipe (in French). 27 January 2017.
  19. ↑ Bőd, Titanilla (6 February 2017). "Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres: "Mental games at practice give us confidence"". Absolute Skating.
  20. ↑ Berlot, Jean-Christophe (26 January 2017). "Tarasova, Morozov earn coveted European title". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018.
  21. ↑ Berlot, Jean-Christophe (18 November 2017). "James, Ciprès pride themselves on taking risks". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017.
  22. ↑ "Athlete Profile - Vanessa JAMES". pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018.
  23. ↑ Smith, Beverley (21 September 2018). "James and Cipres: Dancing to Cizeron's Tune". bevsmithwrites.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018.
  25. ↑ AbsoluteSkating [@absoluteskating] (25 March 2018). "#Milano2018 #WorldFigure Exhibition program - music & timing" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ↑ ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017 Skate Canada International - Gala Exhibition (Television production). Eurosport. October 29, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015.
  29. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014.
  30. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013.
  31. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Yannick BONHEUR: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012.
  32. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES / Yannick BONHEUR: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009.
  33. ↑ "Vanessa JAMES: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 April 2007.
  34. 1 2 "Competition Results: Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018.
  35. 1 2 "Competition Results: Vanessa JAMES / Yannick BONHEUR". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013.
  36. 1 2 3 "Competition Results: Vanessa JAMES". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012.
  • Vanessa James / Morgan Ciprès at the International Skating Union
  • Vanessa James / Yannick Bonheur at the International Skating Union
  • Vanessa James at the International Skating Union
  • "2003 South Atlantic Regional Championships Novice Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. 12 October 2002. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  • "2004 South Atlantic Regional Championships Junior Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. 17 October 2003. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  • "2004 Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships Junior Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. 14 November 2003. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  • "2005 South Atlantic Regional Championships Junior Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.