Vanessa James

Vanessa James
James with former partner Bonheur at the 2010 Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Vanessa James
Country represented	France
Former country(ies) represented	United Kingdom
Born	(1987-09-27) September 27, 1987 (age 24) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Residence	Paris
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Partner	Morgan Ciprès
Former partner	Yannick Bonheur
Coach	Sergei Zaitsev Jean-Rolland Racle
Former coach	Vivien Rolland Karl Kurtz Priscilla Hill
Choreographer	Dominique Molina Sergei Zaitsev Olivia Candeloro
Former choreographer	Alexei Pelexei
Skating club	Francais Volants
Former training locations	Indianapolis Newark, Delaware
Began skating	1998
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	151.93 2012 Europeans
Short program	52.04 2010 Europeans
Free skate	100.12 2012 Europeans

Vanessa James (born September 27, 1987) is a French-British figure skater who has competed internationally as both a single skater and pair skater. She has competed internationally for Great Britain as a single skater and for France as a pair skater.

James originally competed domestically in the United States and internationally for Great Britain as a single skater. She is the 2006 British national champion and 2007 national silver medalist. She switched to pair skating in 2007 and teamed up with Yannick Bonheur to compete for France. They are the 2010 French national champions. James and Bonheur ended their partnership after the 2010 season. In September 2010, she began a new partnership with Morgan Ciprès.

James became a French citizen in December 2009^[1] She had previously traveled under an EU passport.^[2]

Personal life

James was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. She lived in Bermuda until age 10 when her family moved to Virginia in the United States.^[2] While competing in singles, she lived and trained in the U.S. Her father is from Bermuda, which enabled James to hold British citizenship and to compete for Britain. She moved to France in 2007 to train with Bonheur.

Her twin sister, Melyssa James, is also a figure skater.

Career

Early career

James originally competed domestically in the United States and represented the Washington Figure Skating Club. In 2005, she switched to competing for Great Britain. She was the 2006 British national champion and 2007 national silver medalist. James was the first British figure skating champion who was of Black African descent.^[3] She competed for Britain on the ISU Junior Grand Prix and at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

She tried a partnership with British skater Hamish Gaman, but the partnership did not last.^[3]

Partnership with Yannick Bonheur

James teamed up with French skater Yannick Bonheur and began competing internationally with him in 2008. They made their Grand Prix debut at the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard, where they placed 7th. They placed 10th at the 2009 European Figure Skating Championships and 12th at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships. In the 2009–2010 season, they placed 6th at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, 8th at the 2009 Cup of China, and 8th at the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard. At the 2010 French Figure Skating Championships, they placed second in the short program and won the free skating to win the title overall. As a result, they were sent to both the Olympics and Worlds, where they finished 14th and 12th, respectively. James and Bonheur were the first black pair to compete at the Olympics.^[4] They ended their partnership following the 2009–2010 season.^[5]

In May 2010, James successfully tested for the French Federation with new partner Maximin Coia and they planned to train in Germany with Ingo Steuer but several weeks later he decided to end his amateur career.^[6]

Partnership with Morgan Ciprès

In September 2010, James began a new partnership with French former singles skater Morgan Ciprès.^[5] They currently train at Bercy with coach Jean-Roland Racle. Their goal is to represent France at the 2014 Winter Olympics.^[7]

James and Ciprès competed at the 2011 Coupe de Nice and the 2011 Ondrej Nepela Memorial, finishing 5th in both events. Their first Grand Prix together was the 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard; they came in 8th. They were the silver medalists at the 2012 French Nationals.

At the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships, James and Ciprès were 8th in the short program and 6th in the free skating, finishing 6th overall.

Programs

With Ciprès

With Bonheur

Singles career

Competitive highlights

Pairs career

With Morgan Ciprès for France

With Yannick Bonheur for France

James and Bonheur at the 2010 Europeans

Singles career

James as a single skater in 2006

For Great Britain

For the United States

Notes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vanessa James

• 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. http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/events/200203/reg-so-atl/novladies-free.htm. Retrieved 24 December 2009. 
• "2004 South Atlantic Regional Championships Junior Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. 17 October 2003. http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/events/200304/regionals-sa/juniorladies-free.htm?test=1. Retrieved 24 December 2009. 
• "2004 Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships Junior Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. 14 November 2003. http://www.usfsa.org/content/events/200304/sectionals-easterns/jrladies-free.htm. Retrieved 24 December 2009. 
• "2005 South Atlantic Regional Championships Junior Ladies Final Standings". U.S. Figure Skating. http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/events/200405/regionals-sa/juniorladies-free.htm. Retrieved 24 December 2009.