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James Hernandez (figure skater)

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James Hernandez
Bekker and Hernandez at the 2024 World Championships
Born (2001-10-15) 15 October 2001 (age 23)
London, England
HometownAmersham, Buckinghamshire, England
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country United Kingdom
PartnerPhebe Bekker
CoachNicholas Buckland, Penny Coomes, Zhanna Palagina
Skating clubGuildford Figure Skating Club
Began skating2006

James Hernandez (born 15 October 2001) is an English ice dancer who represents Great Britain. With his current skating partner, Phebe Bekker, he is a two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix silver medalist, a two-time British junior national champion (2021–2022), and finished in the top 10 at the 2022 World Junior Championships. Bekker/Hernandez are the first British ice dance team to win a medal on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit.[1]

With his previous partner Emily Rose Brown, Hernandez was the 2020 British junior national champion.

Personal life

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Hernandez was born on 15 October 2001 in London, England. He began learning to skate at age 4, and credited his sister with his initial interest in the sport.[2]

As of 2022, he is currently in a relationship with the 2014 Olympic team event bronze medalist and two-time U.S national champion Gracie Gold.[3]

Career

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Early years with Brown

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Hernandez formed an ice dance partnership with Emily Rose Brown in advance of the 2015–16 season, and together they won gold at the 2016 British Novice Championships after training together for six months at Slough Ice Rink with coach Phillip Poole. This earned them their first international assignment, to the Bavarian Open's advanced novice competition, where they placed fourth.[4][5]

In their first two international junior seasons, Brown/Hernandez won consecutive silver medals at the British junior championships, and three appearances on the ISU Junior Grand Prix, in addition to a number of small international competitions.[5]

2019–20 season: Junior national gold

[edit]

In advance of the season, Brown and Hernandez began training in Philadelphia with retired British dance champions Nicholas Buckland and Penny Coomes. After placing tenth and eleventh at their two Junior Grand Prix assignments, they won gold at the British junior championships for the first time. They called this "an incredible feeling for both of us."[2] After participating in a number of other minor junior internationals, they were assigned to compete at the 2020 World Junior Championships. Qualifying to the free dance, they finished in thirteenth position.[5]

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown opted to retire from competitive skating.[6]

2021–22 season: Debut of Bekker/Hernandez

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In January 2021, Hernandez announced a new partnership with Phebe Bekker. The two trained with his previous coaches Coomes and Buckland in Philadelphia.[7][6]

Bekker/Hernandez made their international debut as a team on ISU Junior Grand Prix at the 2022 JGP Slovenia in late September. They were tenth in both segments of competition to place tenth overall. At their second assignment, the 2022 JGP Poland, Bekker/Hernandez placed eighth in the rhythm dance and seventh in the free dance to finish finally in eighth place.[8]

In November, Bekker/Hernandez won their first junior national title at the 2021 British Championships, leading silver medalists Bushell/Lapsky by nearly 30 points. Bekker said of the win, "After such a relatively short time together, we are delighted to win our first British title."[9] Due to their placement at nationals, Bekker/Hernandez were named to the British team for the 2022 World Junior Championships in Tallinn. Before Junior Worlds, Bekker/Hernandez were assigned to the Egna Dance Trophy where they finished seventh. Competing in Tallinn, Bekker/Hernandez were tenth in the rhythm dance and eleventh in the free dance to place tenth overall.[8]

2022–23 season

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Bekker and Hernandez at the 2022 Junior Grand Prix Final

Beginning the new season at British Ice Skating's new Britannia Cup event, Bekker/Hernandez won gold.[8] On the Junior Grand Prix, Bekker/Hernandez won the silver medal at the 2022 JGP Czech Republic.[10][1] They won a second silver medal at the 2022 JGP Poland I, in the process becoming the first British dance team to qualify for a Junior Grand Prix Final.[11] Following the end of the Junior Grand Prix, they won their second British junior national title.[8]

Competing at the Final in Torino, they finished second in the rhythm dance, aided by a double-fall by pre-event favourites Mrázková/Mrázek. Hernandez commented on attending the event, saying it was "a really surreal moment, walking down the steps. We've never walked into an area with ambient lighting before. It felt very special."[12] They were overtaken in the free dance by both Lim/Quan of South Korea and Mrázková/Mrázek, finishing fourth overall.[13]

In the new year, Bekker/Hernandez won the bronze medal at the Bavarian Open, finishing behind Grimm/Savitskiy of Germany and Americans Neset/Markelov.[14] They entered the 2023 World Junior Championships in Calgary as possible podium contenders, and set a new personal best score of 68.89 in the rhythm dance, finishing 0.89 points ahead of Canadian team Bashynska/Beaumont, who had been expected to contend for the title but erred on their pattern segment. Bekker/Hernandez earned a bronze small medal for the segment.[15][16] In the free dance they set another new personal best, but they finished fourth in the segment and, by 0.06 points, fourth overall behind the Canadians due to a one-point deduction for an extended lift. Bekker said that they had "mixed feelings and emotions" about the outcome.[17][18]

2023–24 season

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Hernandez underwent an elbow procedure in the off-season, hindering the team's work on their lifts in the leadup to their senior debut. Both said, looking at the season ahead, that they wanted to avoid a "soft launch" that that level.[19] Making their first appearance on the Challenger circuit at the 2023 CS Nepela Memorial, Bekker/Hernandez finished eighth.[8]

Bekker/Hernandez made their senior British championship debut, winning the silver medal. They were assigned to join national champions Fear/Gibson at the 2024 European Championships.[20] The following weekend they competed at the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, finishing fourth overall and in the process earning the necessary technical minimum scores to take the second British dance berth at the World Championships.[21]

At the European Championships in Kaunas, Bekker/Hernandez finished seventeenth. They called the well-attended event "an eye-opening experience."[22] At season's end, they made their World Championship debut at the 2024 edition in Montreal. They finished twenty-first in the rhythm dance, 0.53 points behind twentieth-place Komatsubara/Koleto of Japan, and thus narrowly missed qualification to the free dance. Despite this, Bekker and Hernandez said that the event was "such a valuable opportunity and we enjoyed every second of it!" [23]

Programs

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With Bekker

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2024–2025
[24]
2023–2024
[25]
2022–2023
[26]
  • Pray
    by Sam Smith
    choreo. by Penny Coomes, Nicholas Buckland, Chellie Fig
2021–2022
[27]

With Brown

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2019–2020
[28]

Competitive highlights

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JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Bekker

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International [8]
Event 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Worlds 21st
Europeans 17th
CS Golden Spin 4th
CS Nepela Memorial 8th
CS Trophée Métropole Nice TBD
Swiss Open 2nd
International: Junior [8]
Junior Worlds 10th 4th
JGP Final 4th
JGP Czech Republic 2nd
JGP Poland 8th 2nd
JGP Slovenia 10th
Bavarian Open 3rd
Britannia Cup 1st
Egna Dance Trophy 7th
National
British Champ. 1st J 1st J 2nd

With Brown

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International: Junior [5]
Event 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20
Junior Worlds 13th
JGP Austria 11th
JGP Croatia 7th 11th
JGP Estonia 15th
JGP Russia 10th
JGP Slovakia 7th
JGP Slovenia 10th
Bavarian Open 6th J 8th J
Golden Spin 4th J
Halloween Cup 5th J
Mentor Toruń Cup 4th J
NRW Trophy 14th J 4th J
National
British Champ. 2nd 2nd 1st J

Detailed results

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ISU personal bests highlighted in bold.

With Bekker

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [29]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 169.74 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Short program TSS 68.89 2023 Junior Worlds
TES 38.40 2023 Junior Worlds
PCS 30.49 2023 Junior Worlds
Free skating TSS 102.96 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
TES 57.26 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
PCS 46.44 2023 Junior Worlds

Senior results

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2023–24 season
Date Event RD FD Total
March 18–24, 2024 2024 World Championships 21
66.39
- 		21
66.39
January 10–14, 2024 2024 European Championships 19
61.19 		17
93.56 		17
154.75
December 6–9, 2023 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 4
66.78 		4
102.96 		4
169.74
Nov. 30 – December 3, 2023 2023 British Championships 2
74.80 		2
115.97 		2
190.77
October 26–29, 2023 2023 Swiss Ice Skating Open 2
69.63 		2
107.43 		2
177.06
September 28–30, 2023 2023 CS Nepela Memorial 8
63.90 		7
98.32 		8
162.22

Junior results

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2022–23 season
Date Event RD FD Total
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5, 2023 2023 World Junior Championships 3
68.89 		4
100.18 		4
169.07
Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2023 2023 Bavarian Open 2
66.32 		3
93.98 		3
160.30
December 8–11, 2022 2022–23 Junior Grand Prix Final 2
64.58 		4
92.39 		4
156.97
December 1–4, 2022 2022 British Junior Championships 1
65.40 		1
96.15 		1
161.55
Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2022 2022 JGP Poland I 3
64.17 		2
94.68 		2
158.85
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2022 2022 JGP Czech Republic 2
65.19 		2
94.36 		2
159.55
August 26–28, 2022 2022 Britannia Cup 1
55.09 		1
86.37 		1
141.46
2021–22 season
Date Event RD FD Total
April 13–17, 2022 2022 World Junior Championships 10
56.63 		11
81.53 		10
138.16
February 4–6, 2022 2022 Egna Trophy 4
61.56 		8
82.78 		7
144.34
January 20–26, 2020 2021 British Championships 1
60.51 		1
87.52 		1
148.03
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, 2021 2021 JGP Poland 8
50.84 		7
80.57 		8
131.41
August 28–31, 2019 2021 JGP Slovenia 10
50.24 		10
78.23 		10
128.47

With Brown

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2019–20 season
Date Event RD FD Total
March 2–8, 2020 2020 World Junior Championships 12
57.10 		13
84.65 		13
141.75
January 7–12, 2020 2020 Mentor Toruń Cup 3
61.56 		5
93.26 		4
154.61
December 4–7, 2019 2020 Golden Spin of Zagreb 4
61.50 		3
90.08 		4
151.58
Nov. 28 – Dec. 1, 2019 2020 British Championships 1
60.78 		1
93.16 		1
153.90
October 17–20, 2019 2019 Halloween Cup 5
51.44 		6
79.36 		5
130.80
September 26–28, 2019 2019 JGP Croatia 12
51.52 		11
77.04 		11
128.56
September 11–14, 2019 2019 JGP Chelyabinsk 9
52.12 		11
72.57 		10
124.69
2018–19 season
Date Event RD FD Total
October 3–6, 2018 2018 JGP Ljubljana 9
50.88 		11
68.90 		10
119.78
August 22–25, 2018 2018 JGP Bratislava 7
51.13 		10
75.17 		7
126.30
August 10–12, 2018 2018 NRW Trophy 2
53.58 		4
70.63 		4
124.21
July 30 – Aug. 3, 2018 2018 IJS Sheffield 2
38.17 		2
76.13 		2
114.30
2017–18 season
Date Event RD FD Total
January 26–31, 2018 2018 Bavarian Open 4
46.60 		11
58.13 		8
104.73
Nov. 28 – Dec. 4, 2017 2018 British Championships 2
45.05 		2
69.14 		2
114.19
September 27–30, 2017 2017 JGP Croatia 10
45.58 		7
65.10 		7
110.68
Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, 2017 2017 JGP Austria 15
34.90 		9
58.67 		11
93.57
2016–17 season
Date Event RD FD Total
January 26–31, 2018 2017 Bavarian Open 7
46.28 		7
76.94 		6
122.90
Nov. 29 – Dec. 4, 2016 2017 British Championships 2
37.44 		2
72.46 		2
109.90
November 4–6, 2016 2016 NRW Trophy 10
42.80 		16
55.70 		14
98.50
Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2016 2016 JGP Estonia 15
39.24 		14
56.81 		15
96.05

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bekker and Hernandez secure GB's first Junior Grand Prix Ice Dance medal". British Ice Skating. September 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Emily Rose Brown & James Hernandez on their junior career and life off ice". Anything GOEs. October 3, 2022.
  3. ^ NicMcCarvel, Nick (October 18, 2022). "Gracie 3.0: Olympian Gold eyes 'big goals' in continued comeback". Olympic Channel.
  4. ^ Stevens, Rob (March 7, 2016). "British Champions Emily Rose Brown and James Hernandez aim at youth Olympics". Slough Observer.
  5. ^ a b c d "Emily Rose BROWN / James HERNANDEZ: Competition Results". International Skating Union. March 7, 2020.
  6. ^ a b UK News on Ice (January 27, 2021). "So today, to offset some of the current doom and gloom, we will attempt to lift your spirits by bringing you news of an exciting new GB ICE DANCE partnership..." Facebook.
  7. ^ Bekker, Phebe (January 17, 2021). "As a new year begins, James and I are so excited to announce our new partnership" (Instagram).
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  9. ^ Rice, Liam (January 27, 2021). "Wolsey Hall Oxford student takes junior ice skating crown". Oxford Mail.
  10. ^ "Newcomers dominate at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava (CZE)". International Skating Union. September 5, 2022.
  11. ^ "Shimada (JPN) scores second Junior Grand Prix victory". International Skating Union. October 3, 2022.
  12. ^ "Bashynska/Beaumont (CAN) bring the ballroom to top Junior Rhythm Dance". International Skating Union. December 9, 2022.
  13. ^ "Bashynska/Beaumont follow legends Virtue/Moir with Canada's first Junior Grand Prix Dance gold since 2006". International Skating Union. December 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "2023 Bavarian Open". Bayerischer Eissport-Verband. January 2023.
  15. ^ "Mrazkova/Mrazek (CZE) tango to the lead in Junior World Rhythm Dance". International Skating Union. March 4, 2023.
  16. ^ Slater, Paula (March 4, 2023). "Mrazkova and Mrazek take narrow lead in Calgary". Golden Skate.
  17. ^ "Mrazkova/Mrazek claim first ever World Junior Ice Dance title for Czech Republic". International Skating Union. March 4, 2023.
  18. ^ Slater, Paula (March 4, 2023). "Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek make history in Calgary". Golden Skate.
  19. ^ Knight, Sarah (September 17, 2023). "Talking the 2023/24 Season With: Fear/Gibson, Bekker/Hernandez, and Karnes/Carr". Anything GOEs. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  20. ^ Bradley, Jane (December 4, 2023). "Scots win national titles at British Figure Skating Championships". The Scotsman. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "Worlds Scores Achieved in Zagreb!". British Ice Skating. December 12, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  22. ^ "One of the most successful European Championships with the biggest team in a decade". British Ice Skating. January 24, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  23. ^ "GB's Fear/Gibson Fourth in World: World Figure Skating Championships 2024". British Ice Skating. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  24. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024.
  25. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023.
  26. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023.
  27. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022.
  28. ^ "Emily Rose BROWN / James HERNANDEZ: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "GBR-Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ". Skating Scores. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
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