Revealing article about Morgan and Vanessa's relationship on the ice. Will translate when I get the chance.
https://www.lci.fr/sport/jo-2018-py...s-qui-pourrait-creer-la-surprise-2078727.html
Translation.
Olympic Games 2018 - Figure Skating: Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès, the French pair could create an upset
Olympic Games - The pair is brilliantly placed in the mix to win a medal in figure skating, this Wednesday February 14th in Pyeongchang. Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès will perform the free program, this Thursday. Who are those two "Frenchies" figure skating stars?
Febuary 14th 2018 4:36 am - Editorial Staff of LCI
They were at the brink of quitting in 2016, but they decided to carry on and now dream of Olympic medals. Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès were not far from dejection. At the end of the winter in 2016, James (30 years old) and Ciprès (26 years old), partner on the ice since 2010, were on the same wavelength. Like three years earlier, they finished just off the podium at the European Championships. Barely better than in 2014 and 2015, two instances were they ended up in fifth place. They became fed up.
"We received an email about the results of our season and the goals for the next, and it was exactly the same thing", recounted Vanessa to AFP [Agence France-Presse, the French press]. I told myself: "It's not possible. If it's for being fourth, fifth or eighth, it's for nothing, our lives are the same if we quit because there are no rewards."
"I told Vanessa: "It does not interest me anymore, I do not skate to be fourth". It's too much sacrifice, too many hours training, physical pain too... The enjoyment, we have it when we succeed, but for everything to go well, there is also a lot of suffering" clarifies Morgan Ciprès.
In a last-ditch effort, they decide to move abroad to Florida to join the 2002 World bronze medal winner, John Zimmerman. The latter tells them that they will both be his "priority." A speech that our French skaters liked. Under the Florida sun, the pair works with a team dedicated to them: three coaches, Jeremy Barrett and Silvia Fontana in addition of Zimmerman, a choreographer [John Kerr] and a sport psychologist for her.
The real change came from correcting the pairs' relationship. The first task of their new coach became a priority. Between the fierce competitor and perfectionist [Morgan] and the oversensitive lacking confidence [Vanessa], things were far from being easy. "Morgan put a lot of pressure on everybody, also on himself. He wants everything immediately and he wants everything to be perfect, so he wasn't so nice when I would mess up sometimes," explains Vanessa James to AFP. This coaching change seems to be beneficial: "Little by little, we corrected the way we worked, the way we talked. Morgan understood that I needed support. Our relationship is stronger", she adds.
Turned out very well for them, since last year, it was fortuitous. They won their first international medal, a bronze at the European Championships, and placed on the podium at two Grand Prix (3rd in Canada and 2nd at Grenoble). Something to give them wings on the ice of Gangneung with dream of medals more realistic than ever. However, they need to fight hard and be perfect to climb on the podium. Between the Canadians and the Russians, the competition is very dense. But they say it themselves: "Everything is up for grabs". "We can beat teams when they commit some errors, but we also can beat them when they skate cleanly," Vanessa assesses. Verdict, tonight, at 2:30 am during their free program.
