Becky James

Rebecca James

James in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Rebecca Angharad James[1]
Born	(1991-11-29) 29 November 1991 Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales[1]
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)[2]
Weight	67 kg (148 lb; 10.6 st)[2]
Team information
Current team	Velosure-Giordana Racing Team[3]
Discipline	Track & Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter / All-Rounder
Amateur team(s)
Abergavenny Road Club
Professional team(s)
2010–	Motorpoint-Marshalls Pasta[3]
Medal record Track cycling Competitor for  Great Britain World Championships Gold 2013 Minsk Sprint Gold 2013 Minsk Keirin Bronze 2013 Minsk Team sprint Bronze 2013 Minsk 500 m time trial Competitor for  Wales Commonwealth Games Silver 2010 Delhi Sprint Bronze 2010 Delhi Time trial
Infobox last updated on 24 February 2013

Rebecca Angharad "Becky" James (born 29 November 1991) is a Welsh professional racing cyclist specialising in track cycling from Abergavenny, Wales. As of 2013, James is the current world sprint and keirin champion.^[4]

James rides for Wales and the Great Britain Cycling Team, and currently rides for the Velosure-Giordana Racing Team.^[3] James was first spotted by the Welsh Talent Team, she is now a member of British Cycling's Olympic Podium Programme.^[5]

Early life

James attended King Henry VIII School Abergavenny.^[6]

James is the daughter of David James and Christine Harris,^[7] and has an older sister, Rachel, who is a racing cyclist,^[8] and also has two younger sisters; Ffion and Megan, and a brother, Gareth, who are all keen cyclists.

Career

Early career

James started her cycling career at the Abergavenny Road Club.^[9]

James stated that the toughest point in her career to date was just before the 2008 European Junior Championships, when she contracted glandular fever and was unable to compete.^[10]

In July 2009, James won the gold medal in both the sprint and 500 metre time trial events and the silver in the keirin at the European Track Championships.^[11] She followed this up in August by winning the keirin and sprint at the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships, and a silver in the 500 metre time trial, as well as setting a new world record for the flying 200 metres. The framed Rainbow Jersey is kept at her home.^[10]

Later in 2009, James won the Daily Telegraph-Aviva Sport Matters Female Pupil of the Year award.^[6][12]

Professional career

In 2010, at the XIX Commonwealth Games James represented Wales and won the Bronze Medal in the 500m TT Track race and a Silver Medal in the Sprint Track race. She was nominated for the 2010 BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year,^[13] only to lose out to Gareth Bale.

James was under contract from 2011 with the British professional cycling Velosure-Giordana Racing Team. She was selected for British Cycling's Olympic Development Programme, but was then fast tracked for the London 2012 Olympic Games.^[14]

At the 2013 UCI Championships, James beat Germany's Kristina Vogel 2–1 in the final of the world sprint championship to win her first world gold medal.^[4]

Personal life

James, who is based during the week in Manchester, is currently in a relationship with Wales Rugby Union wing George North.^{[15][16][17][18]}

She enjoyed horse riding, and competed in show jumping, but no longer participates due to the risks associated interfering with her cycling commitments.^[19] James stated for her pre-race rituals that she enjoys Electronic dance music whilst doing her roller warm up. She uses Reggae and Reggae fusion whilst waiting.^[10][19] Her favourite place to ride her bike is Pollença, Mallorca.^[10]

Her role models are Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.^[10]

Palmarès

References

External links

• Becky James profile at Cycling Archives