French pairs skaters Yannick Bonheur and Vanessa James create Olympic history

Last night, history was made in Vancouver. French pairs skaters Yannick Bonheur and Vanessa James became the first black couple to compete in figure skating at the Olympic Games.

From 2002 through 2007, Yannick competed with Marylin Pla. They were the three time French national championships and placed 14th at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The Toronto-born James previously competed internationally for Britain as a single's skater. She was the 2006 British national champion and 2007 silver medalist.

Bonheur and James won the French nationals last December, booking their ticket to Vancouver and enabling James to receive French citizenship. The 27-year-old Bonheur tells Agence France Presse, "It's destiny and I'm very happy about it. There's the grace and beauty of Vanessa and then my athleticism. And the fact that we're both black brings a pleasing visual harmony."

Bonheur and Davis were 15th after the short program and scored 51.16. A few more photos at the Rod 2.0 web site.

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