Eric Radford and Vanessa James to compete in pairs together for Canada

[Sylvia]

Skate Canada press release published today (April 21, 2021):

Vanessa James and Eric Radford to compete in pairs together

OTTAWA, ON: Vanessa James, 33, Scarborough, Ont., and Eric Radford, [...]

skatecanada.ca

Partnering up with Eric is a very exciting career opportunity. I am looking forward to a season full of inspiration, joy and personal growth,” said Vanessa James. “We’re both very much looking forward to this new chapter in our lives.”
“I’m looking forward to this new partnership with Vanessa and getting back on the ice and doing what we love,” said Eric Radford. “Vanessa and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Canada this coming season and are looking forward to see what the future holds for our partnership.”
...
This coming season, James and Radford will be training in Quebec coached by Julie Marcotte, and the pair team looks forward to representing Canada at international events.

 

[BlueRidge]

And there we go! Wow.

 

[Colonel Green]

Coached by Julie Marcotte?

Awkward times in the Marcotte family.

 

[quartz]

Coached by Julie Marcotte?

Awkward times in the Marcotte family.

Just sorta awkward all around.

 

[danafan]

Julie Marcotte is obviously known for her choreography but has she ever been a primary coach?

 

[skylark]

I'm happily noticing the words Vanessa and Eric used in their statements: (a season of) inspiration, joy, personal growth ... doing what we love.

Aside from the drama, we can all look forward to having a new and surprising element added to pairs skating. What will they look like on the ice? I'm already imagining they'll be beautiful, lyrical, and smoothly energetic.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I imagine that they'll.skate at least one program to his music.

 

[allezfred]

I imagine that they'll.skate at least one program to his music.

 

[Sylvia]

CBC Sports article by Jacqueline Doorey: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figureskating/eric-radford-vanessa-james-return-1.5995937

In March, the duo officially began practising as a team. They're based in Montreal and coached by Julie Marcotte and Ian Connolly. They've already chosen music and will choreograph one program with Marcotte and the other with renowned French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron and Canadian choreographer Samuel Chouinard, who has worked with the likes of Virtue and Moir.
"Both Vanessa and I, we really wouldn't have expected this," Radford said. "This has come totally out of left field, and it's something that's just manifested in front of us quite easily without us trying.
"If anybody had asked me even five months ago [if I would be back competing], I would've been like, 'no bleeping way.'"
James and Radford will debut this August at provincials in Quebec. Then they'll do some senior B competitions, two Grand Prix events and then Canadian nationals next winter, which will be the real Olympic decider.

Practice clip montage (scroll down here): https://twitter.com/CBCOlympics/status/1384874647670468610

ETA to add link to watch That Figure Skating Show hosts Dylan Moscovitch and Asher Hill chat with James and Radford about their return to competition as a team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlkasD1KYC0

 

[Orm Irian]

Both Vanessa and Eric have posted Instagram stories showing some of their training together, along with their formal announcement posts - hers show a twist and a throw jump, his show two throws. So those who were wondering about how their twists would look can start to get an idea!

ETA: Not to get too tealeaf-ready, but from the wording of their respective posts I do get the impression that Vanessa was the driving force behind this - unsurprising if so, as she was also the driving force behind J/C...

 

[kwanfan1818]

Their assurance in those practice clips is astounding.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

What????? April Fools????? Although this comes from Sylvia

That makes no kind of sense at all. That’s like saying Angela Nikodinov and I are going on a trip to Bulgaria together

I haven’t had my first cocktail yet as it’s only 7 AM so this is hard information to digest but awfully freaking excited by it

 

[Orm Irian]

Their assurance in those practice clips is astounding.

After the difficulty J/C always had syncing their SBS spins, seeing the timing match in the spins in that clip already is really nice.

 

[PRlady]

Phil's take: https://twitter.com/olyphil/status/1384877543594004486?s=20

 

[Dave of the North]

CBC Sports article by Jacqueline Doorey: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/figureskating/eric-radford-vanessa-james-return-1.5995937

Practice clip montage (scroll down here): https://twitter.com/CBCOlympics/status/1384874647670468610

I missed this comeback "Tatiana Volosozhar and Max Trenko"

 

[allezfred]

The clips look pretty good. I know ice is slippery, but it blows the rest of the Canadian pairs out of the water.

 

[allezfred]

Phil's take: https://twitter.com/olyphil/status/1384877543594004486?s=20

Somebody needs to tell Phil that there's been a clear out at FFSG.

 

[Erin]

Julie Marcotte is obviously known for her choreography but has she ever been a primary coach?

I remember her coaching junior dance teams at Canadians (and that’s where her competitive background is). But I can’t think of any pairs teams.

If this were any other season, I would assume they would travel around and consult with other experts for technical items, but that’s not so possible now, so this will be interesting, although the clips do look pretty good.

 

[kwanfan1818]

With video so prevalent, they could get coaching and analysis for particular elements remotely, especially with slow-down features. Even before cv, skaters and coaches by the boards could be seen reviewing elements they'd just practiced on their iPads, and, of course, the high-tech, $$$$$ version, Dartfish.

 

[Colonel Green]

I remember her coaching junior dance teams at Canadians (and that’s where her competitive background is). But I can’t think of any pairs teams.

If this were any other season, I would assume they would travel around and consult with other experts for technical items, but that’s not so possible now, so this will be interesting, although the clips do look pretty good.

They also have Ian Connolly, a dedicated pairs coach — he’s not mentioned in the press release for some reason, but is in the CBC article.

 

[Kateri]

Practice clip montage (scroll down here): https://twitter.com/CBCOlympics/status/1384874647670468610

These practice clips are !!! So good already! (I'm waiting to see the lifts, though. That'll be key.)

 

[Erin]

They also have Ian Connolly, a dedicated pairs coach — he’s not mentioned in the press release for some reason, but is in the CBC article.

That’s good to hear they will be working with Ian - I kind of assumed they would be, although the lack of mention in the press release had me wondering.

 

[genevieve]

Their assurance in those practice clips is astounding.

yeah - brief clips are nowhere near competition performance, but they kind of shut my mouth about inability to gel for next season.

 

[Xsktrx]

yeah - brief clips are nowhere near competition performance, but they kind of shut my mouth about inability to gel for next season.

I am re-thinking my “looks like they will replace W/M” thoughts. They look like they could replace MTM. Bigger twist and throw already and if they have jumping consistency they will force MTM to up their jumping game that has been spotty the last couple of years.

 

[MsZem]

I do get the impression that Vanessa was the driving force behind this - unsurprising if so, as she was also the driving force behind J/C...

Isn't Vanessa just a driving force in general?

After the difficulty J/C always had syncing their SBS spins, seeing the timing match in the spins in that clip already is really nice.

Savchenko and Szolkowy (who were wonderful together) never really managed it either, and then she had no problem with that once she paired up with Massot. Go figure.

 

[allezfred]

I'm waiting to see the lifts, though. That'll be key.

The lifts will be good. They were never an issue for either of them in their previous partnerships.

Not to be mean or anything, but it's refreshing to see Radford skating with someone who has nice lines.

 

[supergirl573]

Morgan Cipres literally had the audacity to wish the new pair well on Instagram.

 

[skategal]

It will be interesting to see what music they skate to.

J/C were known to bring THE SEX with much of their music and D/R mostly skated to mellow type music with little variation in rhythm or tempo.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Did anything say why they did not go to Megan for coaching? Do you think they want their separate identity from her?

By the way did they both want to retire two years ago or was it just Megan?

 

[Wyliefan]

Did anything say why they did not go to Megan for coaching? Do you think they want their separate identity from her?

By the way did they both want to retire two years ago or was it just Megan?

If you do a bit of searching around here, you'll see that Meagan's not happy about this new pairing.