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James looking to peak at right time

Looking up: Vanessa James and her partner Morgan Ciprès, of France, won the pairs title at the European Championships in Minsk, Belarus, in January(Photograph by Igor Russak/NurPhoto)

Bermudian Vanessa James will continue her career until at least the World Figure Skating Championships to held be in Montpellier, France, in 2022.The three-times Olympian, who represents France, enjoyed a whirlwind 2018-19 season with her pairs partner Morgan Ciprès, winning their first Grand Prix events at the Skate Canada International, the Grand Prix Final in Vancouver and the European Championship in Minsk. The pair have decided that the 2019-2020 season will feature a lighter workload, including the French and European Championships and perhaps World Championships.“[Worlds in Montpellier] will be the best opportunity for us to finish our career,” James told The Amsterdam News.“Last season was very long. We didn’t think we would be able to do three strong seasons and the most important for us is Olympic season. We want to conserve our bodies a little bit so we can peak at the right time.”James, 32, recently appeared on the Canadian television show “Battle of the Blades,” which pairs figure skaters with present and former hockey players. For James, whose partner is NHL veteran Brian McGrattan, it was a chance to return to Canada, the country where she was born.“I always feel that I’m very welcomed here, whether it be for shows or competition,” said James, who was raised in Bermuda, her father’s birthplace, and Virginia before moving to Europe. “Morgan and I always get standing ovations in Canada.” Although James and McGrattan were eliminated, they will return to skate in the season finale today. “It’s completely different to what we know,” James said. “But the way that we are training and the way that we’re taking it is still very competitive. It’s a cool experience.”