Beijing 2022 Figure Skating: Top things to know about Canada's Vanessa James and Eric Radford

Canadian figure skating pair Vanessa James and Eric Radford came out of retirement to compete together and at Beijing 2022 they are writing another chapter in their remarkable careers.

James and Radford finished in fourth place in the team event pair skating free, and on Friday 18 February will continue their Olympic Winter Games renaissance in the pair skating event.

Radford, 37, is a three-time Winter Olympics medallist having won a gold medal in the team event and a bronze in the pair skating event at PyeongChang 2018, and a silver medal in the team event at Sochi 2014.

James, 36, is now a four-time Olympian but competed for France at Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018.

Radford says when they teamed up in 2021, their intention was to only skate in shows.

"When I retired and even up to shortly before I started with Vanessa, I would have never ever imagined that I would come back," he told the International Skating Union.

"I truly felt my skating career is complete. It was just by luck and by chance that that opportunity came to skate with Vanessa. We skated together for a few days and at the end of like five days, we could do a triple twist and throw triples and we felt maybe we should show the world what we can do rather than just do shows. And that was when the idea of us actually doing competitions started."

After their first performance at Beijing 2022, he explained further.

"Part of it is that it's so natural. Our bodies match, our lines match and most importantly how we feel when we skate," he said after the pairs free skate in the team event final.

"We feel that individually and then when it comes together it has potential to create something really special. That's what we are trying to develop."

Despite also being extremely proud, James didn’t consider it their best performance given she was still shaken from a collision in practice the day before, with Italy’s Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise.

“It was really hard to come back from it. To skate like that even with all the bruises and a bit of shock from yesterday, it gives us confidence in the next week and a half leading into the next competition,” James said.

"It wasn't perfection, but it's close to what we wanted to do so we are very, very happy.

"I was a little scatterbrained this morning and not feeling the best. I believed in us and believed in my partner and what we are capable of doing, and it felt good to perform like that today."

James was born in Canada, lived in Bermuda with her family until she was 10, when they then moved to the USA and she was inspired to start figure skating after watching Nagano 1998.

Because of her Bermuda ties through her father, James held British citizenship and then became a French citizen in 2009.

Throughout her brilliant career, she became European champion in 2019 with Morgan Cipres, making them the first French skaters to win the European title since 1932.

Prior to skating with Cipres, she skated with Yannick Bonheur from 2008-10, and they were the first all-black couple to compete in figure skating at the Olympic level.

Representation is something James is proud of, and following in the footsteps of one of her heroes; three-time world championships silver medallist and three-time Olympian Surya Bonaly of France.

"When I was figure skating I can't say I had a role model other than Michelle Kwan, because she was the person I watched," James told Royal Gazette in 2019.

"What I do respect about Surya is being the only black figure skater at that time. I can't say my life would be so easy without her having gone through so much before me.

"She is an idol for her persistence and determination and going through solitude as the only black woman and being discriminated against.

"She deserved gold medals, but was only given silver; she made my figure skating career easier. It's an honour to travel, motivate and inspire people all over the world."

Radford was born in Winnipeg in Canada has been skating since 1992. He also plays the piano and composes music he and others have skated to.

Also a hero to many in the sport and beyond, he came out as gay in 2014 and has since married his partner, Luis Fenero, a former ice dancer.

For two remarkable people, athletes and figure skaters, plenty of eyes will be on the Capital Indoor Stadium at Beijing 2022 on Friday 18 February, when James and Radford write the next chapter in their Olympic Winter Games history.

Keep up with all the action in our Live Blog updates throughout Beijing 2022, here.