Morgan Ciprès

Early career

Ciprès began learning to skate in 1995. He initially competed in single skating, debuting on the ISU Junior Grand Prix in 2004. An adductor muscle injury caused him to miss the 2007–08 season. He placed 13th at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

Pair skating career

In September 2010, Ciprès teamed up with Vanessa James to compete in pair skating. They made no competitive appearances in their first season as Ciprès learned pairs elements.

2011–12 season

James/Ciprès made their competitive debut in the 2011–12 season. After competing at the 2011 Ondrej Nepela Memorial and 2011 Coupe de Nice, the pair appeared at their first Grand Prix together, the 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard, placing eighth, and then took the silver medal at the 2012 French Nationals. At the 2012 European Championships, James/Ciprès were eighth in the short program and sixth in the free skate, finishing sixth overall. They went on to place 16th at the 2012 World Championships.

2012–13 season

In the 2012–13 season, James/Ciprès won the bronze medal at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy — it was their first international medal as a pair. Their 2012 Grand Prix assignments were Skate America, where they placed fourth, and the Trophee Eric Bompard, where they came in sixth. James/Ciprès won another international medal at the 2012 NRW Trophy and followed that with their first national title in December. The pair then placed fourth at the 2013 European Championships and eighth at the 2013 World Championships. They also won the 2013 International Challenge Cup.

2013–14 season

In 2013–14, James/Ciprès were again assigned to Skate America and the Trophee Eric Bompard. Ciprès, however, underwent surgery after a wrist injury and had to avoid lifts for a period, causing the pair to withdraw from Skate America. They were able to compete at the Trophee Eric Bompard and placed fifth. The pair then successfully defended their national title. At the 2014 Europeans, James/Ciprès set personal best scores in both segments of the competition and came in fifth. They were named in the French team to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

2014–15 season

James/Ciprès finished fourth at the 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and fifth at both of their Grand Prix assignments, the 2014 Skate Canada International and 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard. They then placed fifth at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm and ninth at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai.

2015–16 season

James/Ciprès began their season with a bronze medal at the 2015 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They placed second in the short program at the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard before the event's cancellation due to the November 2015 Paris attacks. The ISU deemed those placements to be the final results, awarding James/Ciprès their first Grand Prix medal, silver. The pair finished fourth at the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava and tenth at the 2016 World Championships in Boston.

2016–17 season

In June 2016, James/Ciprès relocated to Coral Springs, Florida, to be coached by John Zimmerman and Jeremy Barrett. After taking silver at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International, the pair competed at two Grand Prix events; they finished fourth at the 2016 Skate America and won the bronze medal at the 2016 Trophée de France.

In January 2017, James/Ciprès won the bronze medal at the European Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, becoming the first French pair in fourteen years to medal at the event (since 2003, when Sarah Abitbol / Stéphane Bernadis took silver).

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix