Bermuda’s Vanessa James will be aiming to add another gold medal to her collection at the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, starting today.

James and her partner, Morgan Ciprès, representing France, will head into the competition as one of the teams to watch in the pairs.

They won bronze at the previous world championships, in Milan last year, and caused an upset at the European championships in Minsk, Belarus, in January by claiming the title ahead of two-times champions Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, of Russia.

James, a former Mount St Agnes pupil, is confident their golden moment in Minsk will hold them in good stead in Japan.

“It is very promising going into the world championships,” she said. “Our performance in Minsk was a season’s best and we’re very happy. It comes with experience.

“We are a team that’s been skating for eight years now. With a little bit of mileage and more experience, getting a few medals has helped.

“Any team needs time and experience, knowing how to compete. We look different. We’re not the regular pairs team.”

The pairs short programme begins this morning.

Some 167 skaters from 43 ISU members have entered the competition at the Saitama Super Arena.