 |
Vanessa JamesFrench-British figure skater
Date of Birth: 27.09.1987
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Vanessa James
Vanessa James was born on September 27, 1987, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. She lived in Bermuda until she was ten years old, when her family moved to Virginia. Her father, who was originally from Bermuda, helped her obtain British citizenship, allowing her to compete in figure skating for Britain. Despite this, she lived and trained in the United States as a singles skater before moving to France in 2007.
Early Career
Vanessa began her career as a skater in the United States, representing the Washington Figure Skating Club. In 2005, she started competing for Britain, winning the national championships in 2006 and finishing second in the 2007 British Championship. She became the first dark-skinned woman with African roots to win the British Figure Skating Championship. She also participated in junior Grand Prix competitions under the auspices of the International Skating Union (ISU) and the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
Switch to Pair Skating
Vanessa attempted to form a pair with British skater Hamish Gaman, but the partnership did not work out. However, with her new partner, French skater Yannick Bonheur, she began competing internationally in 2008, once again changing her "sports citizenship." The pair made their debut at the Grand Prix event Trophee Eric Bompard, where James and Bonheur finished seventh. They placed tenth at the European Championships and twelfth at the World Championships, both in 2009.
Success as a Pair
In the 2009-2010 season, the duo finished sixth at the Nebelhorn Trophy, eighth at the Cup of China, and placed eighth at the Trophee Eric Bompard. In 2010, they became the French Figure Skating Champions by finishing second in the short program and winning the free program. Vanessa's twin sister, Melissa James, also competes for Britain in ice dancing.
