Vanessa James

Vanessa James is a decorated figure skater who has represented both France and Canada at the Olympic Games, consistently achieving top placements in international competitions. After winning the British national champion title in 2006 as a junior singles skater representing Great Britain, Vanessa James transitioned to pairs skating in late 2007. Partnering with Yannick Bonheur, she went on to represent France and made her Olympic debut at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, marking a significant milestone as the first black pair to compete at the Olympic Games. In September 2010, James formed a new, highly successful nine-year partnership with Morgan Ciprès.

Representing Canada, the pair quickly made an impact, earning a silver medal at their first international event, the Autumn Classic on the ISU Challenger Series. They subsequently competed in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, contributing to Canada’s fourth-place finish in the team event and placing 12th in the pairs event. A month later, James and Radford secured a bronze medal at the 2022 ISU World Championships. James announced her retirement from competitive skating in July 2022, concluding a distinguished career that saw her consistently achieve top placements in international competitions while representing both France and Canada at multiple Olympic Games.

Her career has also included notable appearances on CBC’s ‘Battle of the Blades’ in 2019 and 2020.