Vanessa James facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vanessa James
James and Ciprès at the 2016 Trophée de France
Personal information
Country represented	Canada (2021–22)  France (2008–19)  Great Britain (2005–08)  United States (2002–05)
Born	(1987-09-27) 27 September 1987 (age 37) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Home town	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	1.61 m (5 ft 3+1⁄2 in)
Partner	Eric Radford (2021–22) Morgan Ciprès (2011–19) Yannick Bonheur (2008–10)
Began skating	1998

Vanessa James Amoros (born September 27, 1987) is a Canadian retired pair skater. She is famous for her amazing career in figure skating. With her former skating partner, Morgan Ciprès, she represented France. They won many big titles, including the 2019 European Championship. They also earned a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships.

James and Ciprès were also champions at the 2018 Grand Prix Final. They won the French national title six times! They competed at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. Before that, James represented France at the 2010 Winter Olympics with her partner Yannick Bonheur. She also competed as a singles skater for the United States and Great Britain. She was the 2006 British national champion in singles.

In April 2021, Vanessa James started a new partnership with Eric Radford. They represented Canada and won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. They also competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics before retiring from competitive skating.

About Vanessa James

Vanessa James was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. She lived in Bermuda until she was 10 years old. Then, her family moved to Virginia in the United States. She lived in the U.S. until 2007 before moving to Paris, France.

Because her father is from Bermuda, Vanessa also had British citizenship. She became a French citizen in December 2009. Vanessa has a twin sister named Melyssa James, who also competed in figure skating. Outside of skating, Vanessa enjoys tennis, dancing, and reading. In 2024, she married Jordan Amoros, a French national judo champion.

Skating Journey

Starting Out

Vanessa James started skating with her sister in 1998. They were inspired after watching the 1998 Winter Olympics. She first competed in the United States.

In 2005, James began representing Great Britain internationally. She won the gold medal at the 2006 British Championships. This made her Britain's first black figure skating champion. She also won a silver medal in 2007. She competed for Britain in the 2006 ISU Junior Grand Prix and the 2007 World Junior Championships. Her last competition as a singles skater was in 2007, where she won a bronze medal.

In late 2007, James decided to switch to pair skating. She briefly partnered with British skater Hamish Gaman. In December 2007, she teamed up with French skater Yannick Bonheur. They had a three-day tryout in Paris.

Skating with Yannick Bonheur (2008–2010)

James and Bonheur at the 2010 Olympics

James and Bonheur made their international debut in November 2008. They placed seventh at the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard. They finished tenth at the 2009 European Championships in Finland. In March, they placed twelfth at the 2009 World Championships in the United States. Their results helped France get a spot in the pairs' event for the next Olympics.

They started their 2009 season by placing sixth at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy. They finished eighth at two Grand Prix events. At the 2010 French Championships, they won the title. In January, they placed seventh at the 2010 European Championships in Estonia.

In February, James and Bonheur represented France at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. They placed fourteenth overall. They were the first black pair to compete at the Olympics. Their last competition together was the 2010 World Championships in Italy. They placed twelfth overall. They ended their partnership in the spring of 2010. James later said they "weren't progressing."

Starting with Morgan Ciprès (2010–2012)

In September 2010, James began a new partnership with Morgan Ciprès. He had been a singles skater before. They did not compete in their first season together. This was because Ciprès needed to learn pairs elements. James remembered their tryout: "It was so fun. He was so funny because he had never done pairs before."

James and Ciprès made their first competitive appearance in September 2011. They finished fifth at the 2011 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. They then placed eighth at their first Grand Prix event, the 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard. At the 2012 French Championships, they won the silver medal.

They finished sixth overall at the 2012 European Championships in England. They were the best French pair there. They then competed at the 2012 World Championships in France. They finished sixteenth overall.

Growing Success with Ciprès (2012–2016)

James and Ciprès compete in 2012

James and Ciprès won their first international medal as a pair in 2012. They earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy. They also won another international medal at the 2012 NRW Trophy. In December, they won their first national title.

In January, they placed fourth at the 2013 European Championships in Croatia. They then won gold at the 2013 International Challenge Cup. They placed eighth at the 2013 World Championships in Canada. This result helped France get a spot for the Sochi Olympics.

For the 2013–2014 season, Ciprès had wrist surgery. This meant they had to withdraw from one competition. However, they still competed at the 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard and placed fifth. They also successfully defended their national title. At the 2014 Europeans, they set personal best scores and finished fifth. They were part of the French team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. They placed tenth in the pairs event.

In the 2014–2015 season, they finished fifth at two Grand Prix events. They earned their first small medal (for the short program) at the 2015 European Championships. They finished ninth at the 2015 World Championships.

The 2015–2016 season started with a bronze medal at the 2015 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They earned their first Grand Prix medal, a silver, at the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard. The event was cancelled due to the Paris attacks, but their short program score counted. They finished fourth at the 2016 European Championships and tenth at the 2016 World Championships.

European and World Medals with Ciprès (2016–2019)

James and Ciprès at the 2016 European Championships

In June 2016, James and Ciprès moved to Florida to train with new coaches. They won a silver medal at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International. They also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Trophée de France.

In January 2017, James and Ciprès won the bronze medal at the European Championships in the Czech Republic. They were the first French pair in 14 years to win a medal at this event. In March, they placed eighth at the 2017 World Championships. The next month, they competed at the 2017 World Team Trophy. They scored personal bests and placed first in both parts of the pairs' event.

They started the 2017–2018 season with a gold medal at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic International. They won bronze and silver medals at their Grand Prix events. At the 2018 European Championships, they placed fourth, just missing a medal. They did receive a small gold medal for their short program.

James and Ciprès were chosen for France's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. They placed fifth overall in the pairs event. In March, they made history by winning the bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships in Italy. This was the first World medal for a French pair in 18 years. James said, "I'm so glad I made that choice because we're a really good team today."

For the 2018–2019 season, their programs were choreographed by famous ice dancers. They won gold at their first event, the 2018 CS Autumn Classic International. They also won their first Grand Prix event at 2018 Skate Canada International, setting a new world record in the free skate. They won another Grand Prix gold medal at the 2018 Internationaux de France. These wins qualified them for the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final. They won the gold medal there, setting another world record in the free skate.

After winning their sixth national title, James and Ciprès went to the 2019 European Championships in Minsk. They won both the short program and the free skate. This made them European pairs champions! They were only the second French team ever to do this. James called it "a dream come true."

In March, at the 2019 World Championships in Japan, they had some unexpected mistakes. They placed seventh in the short program. In the free program, they placed third, finishing fifth overall. They still earned a small bronze medal for their free program. They ended the season by competing at the 2019 World Team Trophy. They earned a new personal best in the free skate.

New Partnership with Eric Radford (2021–2022)

In April 2021, news spread that James was training with Canadian pairs skater Eric Radford. On April 21, Skate Canada announced that James and Radford would compete as a pair for Canada. James said she "still felt I had something to give to skating."

James and Radford made their competitive debut in September 2021. They won the silver medal at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International. At the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, they placed fifth. They competed at two Grand Prix events, placing fourth at both the 2021 Skate Canada International and the 2021 Internationaux de France. At the French event, they skated a clean short program and landed most of their jumps and throws in the free skate.

James and Radford were chosen for the Canadian Olympic team for the 2022 Winter Olympics. They competed in the team event, placing fourth in their segment. In the regular pairs event, they placed twelfth overall. James said, "To go out there and skate our hearts out is a huge accomplishment."

After the Olympics, many top pairs from other countries were not able to compete at the 2022 World Championships. This changed the competition. James and Radford placed fifth in the short program. In the free skate, they delivered a strong performance. They placed second in the free skate, which moved them up to win the bronze medal overall! This was Canada's first World medal in pairs in six years.

On July 11, 2022, James and Radford announced their retirement from competitive skating. James shared her gratitude, saying she was "blessed with many people who have believed in me." She thanked coaches, mentors, and teammates for helping her dreams come true over 23 years.

Programs

With Eric Radford

With Morgan Ciprès

Free skate from the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships

With Yannick Bonheur

Singles Career

Competitive Highlights

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

Pairs with Eric Radford for Canada

Pairs with Morgan Ciprès for France

Pairs with Yannick Bonheur for France

James and Bonheur at the 2010 Europeans

Ladies' Singles for Great Britain

James as a single skater in 2006

Images for kids

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  James and Ciprès at the 2016 Trophée de France

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  James and Bonheur at the 2010 Olympics

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  James and Ciprès at the 2016 European Championships

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  James and Ciprès compete in 2012

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  Free skate from the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships

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  James and Bonheur at the 2010 Europeans

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  James as a single skater in 2006

See also

In Spanish: Vanessa James para niños