Vanessa James & Morgan Cipres

[Lived In Inch]

Gabriella Papadakis, Guillaume Cizeron, Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès on Quotidien
https://www.tf1.fr/tmc/quotidien-av...en-deuxieme-partie-27-mars-2018-2.html#t=1932

 

[Fanou]

Hi there ! Here is the article :

Leurs visages parlent souvent pour eux. Hier soir, à Milan, leurs yeux étaient mouillés, leur sourire indéscotchable. Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès avaient de quoi brandir le poing : pour la première fois de leur carrière, à trente et vingt-six ans, les Français allaient monter sur un podium mondial. C'était la logique : les forfaits des Canadiens Duhamel-Radford (retraités) et des Chinois Sui Wenjing-Han Cong (blessés) propulsaient le duo français, cinquième aux JO, sur le podium. C'était compter sans le cou de Morgan Ciprès, bloqué pendant dix jours. Le couple était arrivé à Milan à court d'entraînement.
Championnats du monde (couples) : l'Allemagne sacrée, la France sur le podium

Apparaissait le spectre d'une nouvelle occasion manquée, après la quatrième place des Championnats d'Europe en janvier. « Mais on s'est battus comme des lions », soufflait hier soir le patineur. Une lourde chute sur le triple salchow lancé n'a pas empêché Vanessa James d'assurer la suite du programme. L'or, remporté par les champions olympiques allemands Savchenko-Massot, avec un nouveau record du monde (245,84 pts au total, et un sixième titre pour Savchenko), était inaccessible. Et les Français on ne peut plus satisfaits de leur sort. Eux, sur qui pas grand monde avait misé, qui auraient pu ne jamais se rencontrer, étaient désormais médaillés de bronze mondiaux. Comme leur coach américain John Zimmerman, seize ans plus tôt.
Vanessa James - Morgan Ciprès après leur médaille de bronze aux Championnats du monde à Milan Ciprès : «Un cadeau»

Leur carrière de patineurs n'avait pourtant rien de prédestiné. Si des raisons familiales n'avaient pas poussé les James à s'installer aux États-Unis, la petite Vanessa aurait continué de grandir aux Bermudes, où, pendant neuf ans, jamais elle ne posa une lame sur une patinoire. Si les parents de Morgan Ciprès n'avaient pas décidé, un dimanche, d'emmener leur petit garçon de quatre ans à la patinoire de Dammarie-les-Lys mais plutôt au cinéma, leur chemin n'aurait pas croisé celui d'Alain Giletti, champion du monde 1960. « Il a dit que j'avais sans doute un don et que ça valait le coup de m'inscrire si j'aimais ça, raconte Ciprès. Quand on a quatre-cinq ans, ça nous plaît forcément. » Surtout quand on est attirés par la compétition au point de demander à sa maman d'acheter des coupes à Decathlon. « Tu en gagneras », lui répondit-elle.
Un couple acharné

Leur association non plus n'était pas vraiment programmée. C'est pour patiner avec Yannick Bonheur que James, qui représentait auparavant la Grande-Bretagne, débarqua en France un jour de 2008. Malgré une participation aux JO 2010, le bonheur ne fut pas au rendez-vous. « Les entraînements étaient trop difficiles, il y avait beaucoup d'engueulades, c'était insupportable », se rappelle encore avec émotion la jeune femme, qui décida de mettre fin au partenariat. Patineur solo, Morgan Ciprès lui envoya alors un message. « Juste pour lui demander de ses nouvelles, savoir si tout allait bien. On a commencé à parler, et puis, de fil en aiguille, on a dit "On n'a qu'à rigoler et aller faire un test." »

18 ans. La médaille de James-Ciprès est la première pour un couple français depuis Sarah Abitbol et Stéphane Bernardis, troisièmes en 2000. « Je peux mourir tranquille ! », a écrit hier soir Bernadis à Ciprès.

La fédération ne partageait pas leur enthousiasme. « À l'époque, j'étais un petit branleur, je ne faisais pas beaucoup de bêtises mais j'en faisais... » Mais le duo s'obstina. Même quand la référence Ingo Steuer, coach allemand réputé à qui la fédération avait demandé un avis, décréta que le couple était sans avenir. « L'année suivante, Ingo est revenu vers eux en leur disant : "Je me suis trompé, je n'ai pas vu ce qu'il pouvait y avoir en Morgan et en ce couple", raconte Katia Krier, directrice de l'artistique à la FFSG. Ils ont eu raison. » De s'acharner, malgré les occasions manquées, un exil en Russie avorté, les tensions entre eux, aussi, que Zimmerman a su apaiser. « Ils ne s'arrêtent pas au moindre problème, ils s'obstinent, c'est pour ça qu'ils en sont là maintenant, observe Silvia Fontana, l'une de leurs entraîneurs en Floride. Ils sont comme des tigres. » Qui se sont bien trouvés.

 

[Fanou]

Well, that's the article from L'Equipe (23rd March 2018), France's most important sports newspaper.

 

[Lived In Inch]

Hi there ! Here is the article :

Leurs visages parlent souvent pour eux. Hier soir, à Milan, leurs yeux étaient mouillés, leur sourire indéscotchable. Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès avaient de quoi brandir le poing : pour la première fois de leur carrière, à trente et vingt-six ans, les Français allaient monter sur un podium mondial. C'était la logique : les forfaits des Canadiens Duhamel-Radford (retraités) et des Chinois Sui Wenjing-Han Cong (blessés) propulsaient le duo français, cinquième aux JO, sur le podium. C'était compter sans le cou de Morgan Ciprès, bloqué pendant dix jours. Le couple était arrivé à Milan à court d'entraînement.
Championnats du monde (couples) : l'Allemagne sacrée, la France sur le podium

Apparaissait le spectre d'une nouvelle occasion manquée, après la quatrième place des Championnats d'Europe en janvier. « Mais on s'est battus comme des lions », soufflait hier soir le patineur. Une lourde chute sur le triple salchow lancé n'a pas empêché Vanessa James d'assurer la suite du programme. L'or, remporté par les champions olympiques allemands Savchenko-Massot, avec un nouveau record du monde (245,84 pts au total, et un sixième titre pour Savchenko), était inaccessible. Et les Français on ne peut plus satisfaits de leur sort. Eux, sur qui pas grand monde avait misé, qui auraient pu ne jamais se rencontrer, étaient désormais médaillés de bronze mondiaux. Comme leur coach américain John Zimmerman, seize ans plus tôt.
Vanessa James - Morgan Ciprès après leur médaille de bronze aux Championnats du monde à Milan Ciprès : «Un cadeau»

Leur carrière de patineurs n'avait pourtant rien de prédestiné. Si des raisons familiales n'avaient pas poussé les James à s'installer aux États-Unis, la petite Vanessa aurait continué de grandir aux Bermudes, où, pendant neuf ans, jamais elle ne posa une lame sur une patinoire. Si les parents de Morgan Ciprès n'avaient pas décidé, un dimanche, d'emmener leur petit garçon de quatre ans à la patinoire de Dammarie-les-Lys mais plutôt au cinéma, leur chemin n'aurait pas croisé celui d'Alain Giletti, champion du monde 1960. « Il a dit que j'avais sans doute un don et que ça valait le coup de m'inscrire si j'aimais ça, raconte Ciprès. Quand on a quatre-cinq ans, ça nous plaît forcément. » Surtout quand on est attirés par la compétition au point de demander à sa maman d'acheter des coupes à Decathlon. « Tu en gagneras », lui répondit-elle.
Un couple acharné

Leur association non plus n'était pas vraiment programmée. C'est pour patiner avec Yannick Bonheur que James, qui représentait auparavant la Grande-Bretagne, débarqua en France un jour de 2008. Malgré une participation aux JO 2010, le bonheur ne fut pas au rendez-vous. « Les entraînements étaient trop difficiles, il y avait beaucoup d'engueulades, c'était insupportable », se rappelle encore avec émotion la jeune femme, qui décida de mettre fin au partenariat. Patineur solo, Morgan Ciprès lui envoya alors un message. « Juste pour lui demander de ses nouvelles, savoir si tout allait bien. On a commencé à parler, et puis, de fil en aiguille, on a dit "On n'a qu'à rigoler et aller faire un test." »

18 ans. La médaille de James-Ciprès est la première pour un couple français depuis Sarah Abitbol et Stéphane Bernardis, troisièmes en 2000. « Je peux mourir tranquille ! », a écrit hier soir Bernadis à Ciprès.

La fédération ne partageait pas leur enthousiasme. « À l'époque, j'étais un petit branleur, je ne faisais pas beaucoup de bêtises mais j'en faisais... » Mais le duo s'obstina. Même quand la référence Ingo Steuer, coach allemand réputé à qui la fédération avait demandé un avis, décréta que le couple était sans avenir. « L'année suivante, Ingo est revenu vers eux en leur disant : "Je me suis trompé, je n'ai pas vu ce qu'il pouvait y avoir en Morgan et en ce couple", raconte Katia Krier, directrice de l'artistique à la FFSG. Ils ont eu raison. » De s'acharner, malgré les occasions manquées, un exil en Russie avorté, les tensions entre eux, aussi, que Zimmerman a su apaiser. « Ils ne s'arrêtent pas au moindre problème, ils s'obstinent, c'est pour ça qu'ils en sont là maintenant, observe Silvia Fontana, l'une de leurs entraîneurs en Floride. Ils sont comme des tigres. » Qui se sont bien trouvés.

Merci Fanou!

Le chemin singulier de Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès, en bronze aux Mondiaux. Article from L'Equipe, I was talking about.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Patinage-art...t-morgan-cipres-en-bronze-aux-mondiaux/886536

Translation.

The Peculiar Journey of Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès, Bronze Medal Winners at the World Championships

Published on Friday, March 23, 2018 at 12:34 am | Updated 03/23/2018 at 2:58 pm

Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès climbed yesterday on their first World podium. The culmination, after a winding path.

Clémentine Blondet

Their faces often speak for themselves. Last night in Milan, their eyes were wet, you could not keep them from smiling. Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès had every right to wave their fists: for the first time in their career, at 30 and 26 years old, the French would finish on the podium at the World Championships. It was logical: the forfeit of the Canadians Duhamel-Radford (retired) and the Chinese Sui Wenjing-Han Cong (injured) propelled the French duo, fifth at the Olympic Games, on the podium. It was without counting on the neck of Morgan Ciprès, hurt for ten days. The pair arrived in Milan with a short period of training.

World Championships (pairs): Germany crowned, France on the podium.

Emerge the ghost of another failed attempt, after fourth place at the European Championships in January." But we fought like lions" heaved Morgan last night. A bad fall on the triple salchow throw didn't prevent Vanessa James from securing the rest of the program. The Gold, won by the Olympic champions from Germany Savchenko-Massot, with a new world record (245.84 total points, and a sixth title for Savchenko), was off limit. And the French extremely content with their fate. They, who not a lot a lot of people would have bet on, who could have never met, are from now on Bronze medal winners at the World Championships. Like their American coach John Zimmerman, sixteen years earlier.

Vanessa James - Morgan Ciprès after their bronze medal at the World Championships in Milan. Ciprès: "A gift."

Their career as figure skaters had nothing to do with fate. If the family reasons didn't push the James to move to the United States, the little Vanessa would have grown up in Bermuda, where for nine years, she would never set foot in an ice rink. If Morgan Ciprès's parents haven't decided a Sunday to bring their four year old little boy at the Dammarie-les-Lys ice rink, but to the movie theater, their path would never have crossed Alain Giletti, 1960 World champion. "He said that I had no doubt a talent and it would be worth it to sign me up if I liked it," recounts Ciprès. When you're four-five years old, you're evidently going to like it." Especially when you're attracted to competition to the point of asking your mom to buy trophies at Decathlon [a sporting good store]. "You're going to win some," she told him.

A tenacious couple.

Their association was not really planned either. It was to skate with Yannick Bonheur that James, who previously represented Great-Britain, landed in France one day in 2008. Despite the participation at the Olympic Games in 2010, the enjoyment was not there. "The training sessions were really difficult, there was a lot of fights, it was intolerable," she recounts with emotion, the young lady decides to end their partnership. Single skater, Morgan Ciprès sent her a message. "Just to ask her news, if everything was alright. We started to talk, and little by little, we said: "Let's do a tryout, just for laughs"."

18 years. The James-Ciprès medal is the first for a French pair since Sarah Abitbol and Stéphane Bernardis, third in 2000. "I can die now!" Bernadis wrote to Ciprès.

The fédération did not share their enthusiasm. "At the time, I was a little wanker [literally the word he used], I did not cause a lot of trouble but I did cause some..."[, revealed Morgan]. The duo persevered. Even when we reference Ingo Steuer, the famous German coach whose opinion the fédération asked for, he said that the pair had no future. "The following year, Ingo told them: "I was wrong, I didn't see Morgan's and this team's potential," said Katia Krier, director of figure skating at the FFSG. They were right". To relentlessly work, despite all the failed attempts, an aborted move to Russia, the tension between them, that Zimmerman knew how to tame. "They do not stop for at first hiccup, they persevere, that's why they are where they are now", observes Silvia Fontana, one of their coach in Florida. "They are like Tigers." Who compliment each other very well.

 

[daphenaxa]

I did the translation of the Quotiden show that Vanessa did with Gabriella and Guillaume:

They show their medals, "all colours, from worlds and olympics".

Yann (host) says to the guy next to Gabi that she has Greek origins and that’s why they put them together (because the guy is famous French presenter with Greek origins too called Nikos Aliagas)

Yann : Gabi and Guillaume’s 3rd world title and Vanessa and Morgan 1st world podium, congratulations. So you were not in competition with each other. Here is ice dance and here is pairs skating. What’s the difference for those who don’t know skating much?

Guillaume : It’s always difficult to explain, and us (dancers) it kinda always makes us look like crap because they jump, do super impressive stuffs and us we dance.

Yann : Yes but you jump too right?

Gabi: no not really, maybe very small jumps (she shows like 20cm with her hands)

Morgan : the big difference is that we do throw jumps and lifts above the head, it’s more acrobatic

Guillaume : for us it’s really what’s danced, step sequences, really technical things but that don’t look it. It doesn’t look very hard. It’s difficult to explain for the people who don’t know the sport

Yann : nothing to do with us, but let’s say it, you are not couples

Everyone : no

Yann : Why do we always think that? That people that skate together are together in real life?

Guillaume : because we pretend!

Yann : Good answer. You are actors in fact.

Morgan : It happens though for some pairs. We are super close, every day, we train together, we hold hands, sometimes it can lead to something, but there is an actor game in all of that too. But some are couples.

Yann : Gabriella and Guillaume you skate together since you are 9 and 10 years old. We have some footage from regional tv from 2008.

The footage says Gabi and Guillaume might have found the right match winning the French nationals for 14-17yo category while being 13 (lol). Small Gabi says they both have to be energetic otherwise it doesn’t work and small Guillaume says he wants to go to international high level competitions.
They are both so embarrassed by the footage. Yann makes fun of Guillaume small growing moustache.

Yann : Vanessa you began skating at 8 or 9 which is really old for skating.

Vanessa: yes it’s very late, but it’s a good thing for me because like that I didn’t get bored of it.

Yann : no of course! You two how did you end up skating together?

Morgan : I was a single skater in the French national team in juniors, and she did Olympic games in pairs with her former partner Yannick Bonheur, we met like that and we started joking together on social media, talking to each other and we decided “why not try” after her split with the former partner, “we can try skating together, could be fun and we could do good things together”.

Yann : what are the things that make it work between two people that dance or skate together?

Gabriella : For us, we grew up together, we have known each other since we are kids, we met when we were 7 and 8 and we really evolved one next to the other and one for the other too and we have temperaments that… (match)

Yann : like brother and sister?

Guillaume: a bit yes

Yann : but do you see each other all the times, weekends and all or not?

Guillaume : well we are kinda like twins, when we speak we say the same things…

Yann : you know how each other move in fact

Gabi : yes

Guillaume : we are used to do all the same things all the time together, we can finish each other’s sentences, that kind of connection.

Aliagas : do you go on holidays together?

Gabi : this no.

Yann : Are there pairs that hate each other?

Morgan : yes there have been

Yann : we want names

Guillaume : Marina and Gwendal, they were not really… close

Gabi : they were known to have some problems between them

Guillaume : bad tempered but well…

Yann : and you can’t see it on the ice?!

Morgan : well it’s the theatrical side that we must play sometimes, but

Guillaume : but it also created a connection

Gabriella : yes like a small fire

Guillaume: like tension

Yann : and in a few words, what physical qualities do you need to be a figure skating champion? Legs…

Gabi : legs, arms,

Someone : balance

Morgan : a bit of everything I think

Guillaume : you need to be flexible

Morgan: NO

Yann : you are not flexible?

Morgan: no I’m not.

Guillaume : well compared to people that don’t skate a little a least

Morgan : well for a sportsman I’m not really

Yann : and what kind of psychology you need?

Morgan : you have to like to put on a show a minimum. Because we are the only actors during the moment in front of a big audience, it’s not a team, you are alone in the middle of the ice, it’s like an artist.

Yann : you should like to show off?

Morgan : yes show off.

Yann : but you seem shy…

Vanessa : me, I’m shy

Yann : yes!

Vanessa : I have a mental coach that’s helping me a lot

Yann : what I have around my neck was won by them 4 at worlds and Olympics. Nikos, did you follow Pyeongchang?

Aliagas : from far, I saw also what happened to you…

Yann : well yes, that was my question… do we speak about it or not?

Gabi : I imagine you prepared the subject?

Yann : no no no no. It’s too expensive to buy the images. (joke) You ok? Not too traumatized?

Gabi : no that’s fine. Well it happened.

Yann : yes the dress, pschhht, something

Gabi : yes we are not gonna make it taboo for 10 years.

Yann: a staple incident with the dress…

Gabi : yes.

Yann : it’s said it’s a very expensive sport that asks for a lot of sacrifices. Is it true?

Morgan: that’s mostly true I think. A lot of sacrifice that’s for sure. Expensive, a bit at first because we are not really helped, there are not many sponsors, it’s difficult to find ice time etc. at the beginning but I think it is more expensive in other countries like USA for example.

Yann : and did you not suffer too much from the maybe a bit caricatural image of figure skating? When you were small?

Guillaume : a little bit of course. It’s not the thing to do that’s super cool. When people ask what you do in life and you say you are a figure skater… it’s not…

Gabi (points at their photo as juniors with ridiculous costumes) : yes that’s what we do!

Yann : yes! Did you suffer from it?

Guillaume : well more or less…

Yann : why are the costumes… are… a little bit special?

[Little parenthesis here, but I think when you say figure skating in France to people who don’t follow the sport, people will automatically think of costumes like Alexei Urmanov’s Olympic shirt, or like Johnnie Weir style of costumes… It has an image of being really old fashioned and uncool]

Gabi: form-fitting?

Yann : well not only form-fitting but very colourful…

Guillaume : well… I don’t know. But that said, we try to be a bit more fashionable. Lately…

Yann : well yes nowadays, at least in Milan, we saw that you tried to renew that

Gabi : we try!

Guillaume : well 1st the thing is you have to use material that stretches. And except from the lycra, there are not too many. Jeans… it’s complicated lol! I don’t know, it’s in the culture of the sport. We try… yes… we try not to add sparkle if you don’t need them but in a latin dance like this year you need them so… but yeah we try to avoid the old-fashion side of it.

Yann : Ha! I didn’t use the word old-fashioned! So do you think the image has changed then? That it looks a lot more modern… thanks to you too.

Guillaume : well you have to ask the audience I think.

Yann : I think so

Gabi : We hope, we try. We try to make it like it follows exterior trends, that it keeps up with our real tastes, tastes from our generation,

Guillaume : even for music, we try to use a maximum.. well you’ll tell me Beethoven is not super modern, but when we can, we try to choose music that the audience can like, because it’s a show and it’s important for us to have that positive feedback from the audience.

Yann : And Nikos, do you watch sometimes for example.

Aliagas : I watch when we have champions that make the sport get exposure/be talked about. They also became ambassadors for the kids that watch them. And I’m touched when they say they don’t have the financial support at the beginning, it’s true I imagine there is not a Mexican army with plenty of sponsors and all but maybe you will make them come. Maybe you’ll make things move with your talent.

Morgan : we try. Now we will do the French team tour that starts Thursday. We skate in rinks around France, we have a nice show. And yeah we will try to make people talk about our sport to bring young kids and audience etc. And I think it’s important because it’s a sport that stays very pleasant to watch. It was one of the favourite sports from the Olympics for the French people to watch on TV.

Yann : so let’s go!

Music segment:

Music they listen to in a loop at the moment:
Nikos : Maitre Gims et Vianney – La même
G&G : Brandi Carlile – The joke
V/M : Maitre Gims and Lil Wayne – Corazón

Perfect song to dance :
Nikos : Claude François – cette année là
G&G : Ed Sheeran – Shape of you

Yann : so you danced that?
Gabi : yes! It’s perfect!
Yann : how did you do?
Guillaume : latin dance, in samba
Yann : what do you mean?
Guillaume : well meaning rolling your butt

V/M : Drake – One dance

Best song to make love :
Nikos : Bronski Beat – I feel love (they all find it’s a very odd choice, Guillaume says, with a little bit of drugs that must help)
G&G : Jeremih – Birthday sex (someone in the audience is like “yes I admit it’s good”)
V/M : the weeknd – earned it

Gabi : I need to precise that they skated to this.
Morgan : don’t say that, they didn’t know.
Yann: you skated on that?
Vanessa : yes last year
Yann : what was the result?
Vanessa : very good! lol

Most beautiful song to be depressed:
Nikos : Léo Ferré – avec le temps
G&G : Léo Ferré – avec le temps (they chose the same)
V/M : Jacques Brel – ne me quitte pas

The crappy song that you like for reasons you can’t explain:
Nikos : Papa tango Charly – Mort Shuman
G&G : Dany Brillant – Quand je vois tes yeux

Yann : you could do it on the ice
Guillaume : yes as a samba!

V/M : Francky Vincent – Fruit de la passion

Yann : We were listening to the commentators in weight-lifting (in another segment), the best commentator for figure skating, who is it?

Morgan and Gabi : Nelson… Nelson Montfort

Yann : he always asks the same questions no?

Guillaume : it’s often quite repetitive…

Gabi : Yes… but he is nice. We love Nelson.

Yann : Would you like to do it later, commentator?

Morgan : no.

Gabi : Commentating?

Guillaume : I can’t contain myself to commentate…

Gabi : I think it’s hard to say interesting things without being a little offensive. No that’s true, when you are in front of your tv at home, you make commentaries…

Guillaume : we criticize really easily. It’s a bit simple.

Yann : It’s a complicated job.

Gabi : yes complicated, very complicated.

Yann : Thank you for coming and in fact figure skating is COOL! We can go see your show and congrats on the medals.

 

[Lived In Inch]

I did the translation of the Quotiden show that Vanessa did with Gabriella and Guillaume

Merci daphenaxa! I was going to do it when I could find the time over the weekend. You beat me up to it. I had a lot of things to translate last night, I appreciate it.

 

[elbkup]

Hi there ! Here is the article :

Leurs visages parlent souvent pour eux. Hier soir, à Milan, leurs yeux étaient mouillés, leur sourire indéscotchable. Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès avaient de quoi brandir le poing : pour la première fois de leur carrière, à trente et vingt-six ans, les Français allaient monter sur un podium mondial. C'était la logique : les forfaits des Canadiens Duhamel-Radford (retraités) et des Chinois Sui Wenjing-Han Cong (blessés) propulsaient le duo français, cinquième aux JO, sur le podium. C'était compter sans le cou de Morgan Ciprès, bloqué pendant dix jours. Le couple était arrivé à Milan à court d'entraînement.
Championnats du monde (couples) : l'Allemagne sacrée, la France sur le podium

Apparaissait le spectre d'une nouvelle occasion manquée, après la quatrième place des Championnats d'Europe en janvier. « Mais on s'est battus comme des lions », soufflait hier soir le patineur. Une lourde chute sur le triple salchow lancé n'a pas empêché Vanessa James d'assurer la suite du programme. L'or, remporté par les champions olympiques allemands Savchenko-Massot, avec un nouveau record du monde (245,84 pts au total, et un sixième titre pour Savchenko), était inaccessible. Et les Français on ne peut plus satisfaits de leur sort. Eux, sur qui pas grand monde avait misé, qui auraient pu ne jamais se rencontrer, étaient désormais médaillés de bronze mondiaux. Comme leur coach américain John Zimmerman, seize ans plus tôt.
Vanessa James - Morgan Ciprès après leur médaille de bronze aux Championnats du monde à Milan Ciprès : «Un cadeau»

Leur carrière de patineurs n'avait pourtant rien de prédestiné. Si des raisons familiales n'avaient pas poussé les James à s'installer aux États-Unis, la petite Vanessa aurait continué de grandir aux Bermudes, où, pendant neuf ans, jamais elle ne posa une lame sur une patinoire. Si les parents de Morgan Ciprès n'avaient pas décidé, un dimanche, d'emmener leur petit garçon de quatre ans à la patinoire de Dammarie-les-Lys mais plutôt au cinéma, leur chemin n'aurait pas croisé celui d'Alain Giletti, champion du monde 1960. « Il a dit que j'avais sans doute un don et que ça valait le coup de m'inscrire si j'aimais ça, raconte Ciprès. Quand on a quatre-cinq ans, ça nous plaît forcément. » Surtout quand on est attirés par la compétition au point de demander à sa maman d'acheter des coupes à Decathlon. « Tu en gagneras », lui répondit-elle.
Un couple acharné

Leur association non plus n'était pas vraiment programmée. C'est pour patiner avec Yannick Bonheur que James, qui représentait auparavant la Grande-Bretagne, débarqua en France un jour de 2008. Malgré une participation aux JO 2010, le bonheur ne fut pas au rendez-vous. « Les entraînements étaient trop difficiles, il y avait beaucoup d'engueulades, c'était insupportable », se rappelle encore avec émotion la jeune femme, qui décida de mettre fin au partenariat. Patineur solo, Morgan Ciprès lui envoya alors un message. « Juste pour lui demander de ses nouvelles, savoir si tout allait bien. On a commencé à parler, et puis, de fil en aiguille, on a dit "On n'a qu'à rigoler et aller faire un test." »

18 ans. La médaille de James-Ciprès est la première pour un couple français depuis Sarah Abitbol et Stéphane Bernardis, troisièmes en 2000. « Je peux mourir tranquille ! », a écrit hier soir Bernadis à Ciprès.

La fédération ne partageait pas leur enthousiasme. « À l'époque, j'étais un petit branleur, je ne faisais pas beaucoup de bêtises mais j'en faisais... » Mais le duo s'obstina. Même quand la référence Ingo Steuer, coach allemand réputé à qui la fédération avait demandé un avis, décréta que le couple était sans avenir. « L'année suivante, Ingo est revenu vers eux en leur disant : "Je me suis trompé, je n'ai pas vu ce qu'il pouvait y avoir en Morgan et en ce couple", raconte Katia Krier, directrice de l'artistique à la FFSG. Ils ont eu raison. » De s'acharner, malgré les occasions manquées, un exil en Russie avorté, les tensions entre eux, aussi, que Zimmerman a su apaiser. « Ils ne s'arrêtent pas au moindre problème, ils s'obstinent, c'est pour ça qu'ils en sont là maintenant, observe Silvia Fontana, l'une de leurs entraîneurs en Floride. Ils sont comme des tigres. » Qui se sont bien trouvés.

Many thanks for this!!!

 

[miscelaney]

I did the translation of the Quotiden show that Vanessa did with Gabriella and Guillaume:

Thank you for the translation!!

 

[Lived In Inch]

More "at least one more year" confirmation.
https://www.lequipe.fr/Patinage-art...t-cipres-vont-continuer-au-moins-un-an/888189

Translation.

Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès Will Continue for at Least One More Year

Published on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 1:24 pm | Updated 03/29/2018 at 2:11 pm

Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès, recent Bronze medalists at the World Championships in pairs, will continue their careers for at least one more season.

[photo] Morgan Ciprès and Vanessa James during des 2018 European Championships in Moscow. (R.Martin/L'Equipe)

One week after winning the first medal at the World Championships of their career, Vanessa James (30 years old) and Morgan Ciprès (26 years old) indicated that they will be continuing their career, for at least one more year. "It's not the time to stop, our bodies are still fit, and in our head, we have motivation, declared Vanessa. It would be a shame to stop now because we are really starting to establish ourselves in the hierarchy, to put in a steady performance."

"We have a World medal now, we want more, adds Ciprès. In our mind, we know we can become World Champions and it's what we want, and also European Champions." The two skaters will stay based in Florida, where they moved two years ago, to continue to work with their American coach, John Zimmerman. Is it possible to see them on the ice in four years at the Olympic Games in Beijing? "It's not totally out of the question, but it's very far away," answered Morgan Ciprès..

 

[synian]

two nice new photos : https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZdus_mWsAAxlQS.jpg et https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZdus_oX4AEQ7jB.jpg

 

[Iris81]

More new photos on afp site http://www.afpforum.com/AFPForum/Search/Results.aspx?pn=1&smd=8&mui=3&q=17275703435160470392_1&fst=james+cipres&fto=3&t=2&cck=a1aff2#pn=1&smd=8&mui=3&q=17275703435160470392_1&fst=james+cipres&fto=3&t=2&cck=a1aff2

 

[MDIslander]

I did the translation of the Quotiden show that Vanessa did with Gabriella and Guillaume:

They show their medals, "all colours, from worlds and olympics".

Yann (host) says to the guy next to Gabi that she has Greek origins and that’s why they put them together (because the guy is famous French presenter with Greek origins too called Nikos Aliagas)

Yann : Gabi and Guillaume’s 3rd world title and Vanessa and Morgan 1st world podium, congratulations. So you were not in competition with each other. Here is ice dance and here is pairs skating. What’s the difference for those who don’t know skating much?

Guillaume : It’s always difficult to explain, and us (dancers) it kinda always makes us look like crap because they jump, do super impressive stuffs and us we dance.

Yann : Yes but you jump too right?

Gabi: no not really, maybe very small jumps (she shows like 20cm with her hands)

Morgan : the big difference is that we do throw jumps and lifts above the head, it’s more acrobatic

Guillaume : for us it’s really what’s danced, step sequences, really technical things but that don’t look it. It doesn’t look very hard. It’s difficult to explain for the people who don’t know the sport

Yann : nothing to do with us, but let’s say it, you are not couples

Everyone : no

Yann : Why do we always think that? That people that skate together are together in real life?

Guillaume : because we pretend!

Yann : Good answer. You are actors in fact.

Morgan : It happens though for some pairs. We are super close, every day, we train together, we hold hands, sometimes it can lead to something, but there is an actor game in all of that too. But some are couples.

Yann : Gabriella and Guillaume you skate together since you are 9 and 10 years old. We have some footage from regional tv from 2008.

The footage says Gabi and Guillaume might have found the right match winning the French nationals for 14-17yo category while being 13 (lol). Small Gabi says they both have to be energetic otherwise it doesn’t work and small Guillaume says he wants to go to international high level competitions.
They are both so embarrassed by the footage. Yann makes fun of Guillaume small growing moustache.

Yann : Vanessa you began skating at 8 or 9 which is really old for skating.

Vanessa: yes it’s very late, but it’s a good thing for me because like that I didn’t get bored of it.

Yann : no of course! You two how did you end up skating together?

Morgan : I was a single skater in the French national team in juniors, and she did Olympic games in pairs with her former partner Yannick Bonheur, we met like that and we started joking together on social media, talking to each other and we decided “why not try” after her split with the former partner, “we can try skating together, could be fun and we could do good things together”.

Yann : what are the things that make it work between two people that dance or skate together?

Gabriella : For us, we grew up together, we have known each other since we are kids, we met when we were 7 and 8 and we really evolved one next to the other and one for the other too and we have temperaments that… (match)

Yann : like brother and sister?

Guillaume: a bit yes

Yann : but do you see each other all the times, weekends and all or not?

Guillaume : well we are kinda like twins, when we speak we say the same things…

Yann : you know how each other move in fact

Gabi : yes

Guillaume : we are used to do all the same things all the time together, we can finish each other’s sentences, that kind of connection.

Aliagas : do you go on holidays together?

Gabi : this no.

Yann : Are there pairs that hate each other?

Morgan : yes there have been

Yann : we want names

Guillaume : Marina and Gwendal, they were not really… close

Gabi : they were known to have some problems between them

Guillaume : bad tempered but well…

Yann : and you can’t see it on the ice?!

Morgan : well it’s the theatrical side that we must play sometimes, but

Guillaume : but it also created a connection

Gabriella : yes like a small fire

Guillaume: like tension

Yann : and in a few words, what physical qualities do you need to be a figure skating champion? Legs…

Gabi : legs, arms,

Someone : balance

Morgan : a bit of everything I think

Guillaume : you need to be flexible

Morgan: NO

Yann : you are not flexible?

Morgan: no I’m not.

Guillaume : well compared to people that don’t skate a little a least

Morgan : well for a sportsman I’m not really

Yann : and what kind of psychology you need?

Morgan : you have to like to put on a show a minimum. Because we are the only actors during the moment in front of a big audience, it’s not a team, you are alone in the middle of the ice, it’s like an artist.

Yann : you should like to show off?

Morgan : yes show off.

Yann : but you seem shy…

Vanessa : me, I’m shy

Yann : yes!

Vanessa : I have a mental coach that’s helping me a lot

Yann : what I have around my neck was won by them 4 at worlds and Olympics. Nikos, did you follow Pyeongchang?

Aliagas : from far, I saw also what happened to you…

Yann : well yes, that was my question… do we speak about it or not?

Gabi : I imagine you prepared the subject?

Yann : no no no no. It’s too expensive to buy the images. (joke) You ok? Not too traumatized?

Gabi : no that’s fine. Well it happened.

Yann : yes the dress, pschhht, something

Gabi : yes we are not gonna make it taboo for 10 years.

Yann: a staple incident with the dress…

Gabi : yes.

Yann : it’s said it’s a very expensive sport that asks for a lot of sacrifices. Is it true?

Morgan: that’s mostly true I think. A lot of sacrifice that’s for sure. Expensive, a bit at first because we are not really helped, there are not many sponsors, it’s difficult to find ice time etc. at the beginning but I think it is more expensive in other countries like USA for example.

Yann : and did you not suffer too much from the maybe a bit caricatural image of figure skating? When you were small?

Guillaume : a little bit of course. It’s not the thing to do that’s super cool. When people ask what you do in life and you say you are a figure skater… it’s not…

Gabi (points at their photo as juniors with ridiculous costumes) : yes that’s what we do!

Yann : yes! Did you suffer from it?

Guillaume : well more or less…

Yann : why are the costumes… are… a little bit special?

[Little parenthesis here, but I think when you say figure skating in France to people who don’t follow the sport, people will automatically think of costumes like Alexei Urmanov’s Olympic shirt, or like Johnnie Weir style of costumes… It has an image of being really old fashioned and uncool]

Gabi: form-fitting?

Yann : well not only form-fitting but very colourful…

Guillaume : well… I don’t know. But that said, we try to be a bit more fashionable. Lately…

Yann : well yes nowadays, at least in Milan, we saw that you tried to renew that

Gabi : we try!

Guillaume : well 1st the thing is you have to use material that stretches. And except from the lycra, there are not too many. Jeans… it’s complicated lol! I don’t know, it’s in the culture of the sport. We try… yes… we try not to add sparkle if you don’t need them but in a latin dance like this year you need them so… but yeah we try to avoid the old-fashion side of it.

Yann : Ha! I didn’t use the word old-fashioned! So do you think the image has changed then? That it looks a lot more modern… thanks to you too.

Guillaume : well you have to ask the audience I think.

Yann : I think so

Gabi : We hope, we try. We try to make it like it follows exterior trends, that it keeps up with our real tastes, tastes from our generation,

Guillaume : even for music, we try to use a maximum.. well you’ll tell me Beethoven is not super modern, but when we can, we try to choose music that the audience can like, because it’s a show and it’s important for us to have that positive feedback from the audience.

Yann : And Nikos, do you watch sometimes for example.

Aliagas : I watch when we have champions that make the sport get exposure/be talked about. They also became ambassadors for the kids that watch them. And I’m touched when they say they don’t have the financial support at the beginning, it’s true I imagine there is not a Mexican army with plenty of sponsors and all but maybe you will make them come. Maybe you’ll make things move with your talent.

Morgan : we try. Now we will do the French team tour that starts Thursday. We skate in rinks around France, we have a nice show. And yeah we will try to make people talk about our sport to bring young kids and audience etc. And I think it’s important because it’s a sport that stays very pleasant to watch. It was one of the favourite sports from the Olympics for the French people to watch on TV.

Yann : so let’s go!

Music segment:

Music they listen to in a loop at the moment:
Nikos : Maitre Gims et Vianney – La même
G&G : Brandi Carlile – The joke
V/M : Maitre Gims and Lil Wayne – Corazón

Perfect song to dance :
Nikos : Claude François – cette année là
G&G : Ed Sheeran – Shape of you

Yann : so you danced that?
Gabi : yes! It’s perfect!
Yann : how did you do?
Guillaume : latin dance, in samba
Yann : what do you mean?
Guillaume : well meaning rolling your butt

V/M : Drake – One dance

Best song to make love :
Nikos : Bronski Beat – I feel love (they all find it’s a very odd choice, Guillaume says, with a little bit of drugs that must help)
G&G : Jeremih – Birthday sex (someone in the audience is like “yes I admit it’s good”)
V/M : the weeknd – earned it

Gabi : I need to precise that they skated to this.
Morgan : don’t say that, they didn’t know.
Yann: you skated on that?
Vanessa : yes last year
Yann : what was the result?
Vanessa : very good! lol

Most beautiful song to be depressed:
Nikos : Léo Ferré – avec le temps
G&G : Léo Ferré – avec le temps (they chose the same)
V/M : Jacques Brel – ne me quitte pas

The crappy song that you like for reasons you can’t explain:
Nikos : Papa tango Charly – Mort Shuman
G&G : Dany Brillant – Quand je vois tes yeux

Yann : you could do it on the ice
Guillaume : yes as a samba!

V/M : Francky Vincent – Fruit de la passion

Yann : We were listening to the commentators in weight-lifting (in another segment), the best commentator for figure skating, who is it?

Morgan and Gabi : Nelson… Nelson Montfort

Yann : he always asks the same questions no?

Guillaume : it’s often quite repetitive…

Gabi : Yes… but he is nice. We love Nelson.

Yann : Would you like to do it later, commentator?

Morgan : no.

Gabi : Commentating?

Guillaume : I can’t contain myself to commentate…

Gabi : I think it’s hard to say interesting things without being a little offensive. No that’s true, when you are in front of your tv at home, you make commentaries…

Guillaume : we criticize really easily. It’s a bit simple.

Yann : It’s a complicated job.

Gabi : yes complicated, very complicated.

Yann : Thank you for coming and in fact figure skating is COOL! We can go see your show and congrats on the medals.

Many many many THANKS daphenaxa I just wished Morgan & Vanessa weren't so shy...

 

[Julie Wie]

@ Daphenaxa... Thank you for the translation, I was surprised that Vanessa calls herself "shy" ... well maybe in certain situations (like tv), but to me she seemed very confident

Still, I dont have the Milano material ready (ISU is blocking apparently ) BUT ... heres a montage I did before leaving for worlds : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oAU8o_nmIsw

enjoy

Julie

 

[Lived In Inch]

@ Daphenaxa... Thank you for the translation, I was surprised that Vanessa calls herself "shy" ... well maybe in certain situations (like tv), but to me she seemed very confident

Still, I dont have the Milano marerial ready (ISU is blocking apparently ) BUT ... heres a montage I did before leaving for worlds : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oAU8o_nmIsw

enjoy

Julie

I think it's the audience setting and trying to express herself in French. In one on one French interviews, she seems alright. In English interviews, she's definitely more comfortable with expressing herself.
As for Morgan, I can see him translating in his head in English interviews. He's doing what I used to do, which is translating word for word in English his French thoughts. And that makes him use convoluted words in English when they are just normal words in French.

 

[Julie Wie]

I think it's the audience setting and trying to express herself in French. In one on one French interviews, she seems alright. In English interviews, she's definitely more comfortable with expressing herself. As for Morgan, I can see him translating in his head in English interviews.

yes ! so true!

 

[daphenaxa]

Yes i think the French plays a big part in Vanessa's shyness. She speaks very well but i'm sure she is intimidated when there is an audience and it's more a talkshow kind of thing. I don't think Morgan is really shy but he more reserved than Gabriella and Guillaume. Also both Vanessa and Morgan are less used to being interviewed like that. They did a good job anyways! And hopefully they keep getting invited to more things so the French audience knows them better!

 

[MDIslander]

I think it's the audience setting and trying to express herself in French. In one on one French interviews, she seems alright. In English interviews, she's definitely more comfortable with expressing herself.
As for Morgan, I can see him translating in his head in English interviews. He's doing what I used to do, which is translating word for word in English his French thoughts. And that makes him use convoluted words in English when they are just normal words in French.

So true. The interview that sticks out for me is the Blade Boys interview where Morgan kept saying "story love" instead of love story.

 

[Fanou]

Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès vont continuer au moins un an

Publié le jeudi 29 mars 2018 à 13:24 | Mis à jour le 29/03/2018 à 14:11

Vanessa James et Morgan Ciprès, fraîchement médaillés de bronze aux Mondiaux en couples, vont poursuivre leur carrière au moins une saison de plus.


Une semaine après avoir décroché la première médaille de leur carrière dans des Championnats du monde, Vanessa James (30 ans) et Morgan Ciprès (26 ans) ont fait savoir qu'ils poursuivaient leur carrière, au moins une année. «Ce n'est pas le moment d'arrêter, nos corps tiennent encore, et dans la tête, on a la motivation, a déclaré la Française. Ce serait dommage qu'on arrête là parce qu'on commence vraiment à être installés dans la hiérarchie, à être réguliers.»

«On a eu une médaille mondiale, on a envie de plus, a enchaîné Ciprès. Dans un coin de notre tête, on sait qu'on peut devenir champions du monde et c'est ce dont on a envie, et champions d'Europe aussi.» Les deux patineurs vont rester basés en Floride, où ils ont posé leurs valises il y a bientôt deux ans, pour continuer à travailler avec leur entraîneur américain, John Zimmerman. Est-ce possible de les voir encore sur la glace dans quatre ans aux JO d'hiver à Pékin ? «Ce n'est pas totalement écarté, mais c'est vraiment long», a répondu Morgan Ciprès.

Avec AFP

 

[Fanou]

Hi everybody ! That's another article from L'Equipe confirming they will carry on for at least one more year ...

 

[Lived In Inch]

I uploaded the Quotidien interview with English subtitles on all the interview parts for people who don't live in these countries: France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin. This was my first time realistically doing subtitles on YouTube. Time consuming effort, it took me two days! It's the syncing part that takes the most effort.
https://youtu.be/cemPrHONLm4

Is it just me or do I keep hearing Gabriella outing Vanessa and Morgan's past relationship by saying: "Je tiens à préciser qu'ils ont patiné l'un sur l'autre."? at https://youtu.be/cemPrHONLm4?t=20m13s