 James in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Rebecca Angharad James[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 November 1991 Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 67 kg (148 lb)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Velosure–Giordana[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Track & Road | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rider type | Sprinter / All-rounder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amateur team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abergavenny Road Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010– | Motorpoint–Marshalls Pasta[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Rebecca Angharad James (born 29 November 1991) is a Welsh former professional racing cyclist specialising in track cycling. James was the 2013 world sprint and keirin champion.[4] She is a 2016 Rio Olympics double silver medalist.
James rode for Wales and the Great Britain Cycling Team, and rode for the Velosure–Giordana.[3] First spotted by the Welsh Talent Team, she was a member of British Cycling's Olympic Podium Programme.[5]
James was born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. She is the daughter of David James and Christine Harris,[6] and has an older sister, Rachel, who is a racing cyclist,[7] and also has two younger sisters; Ffion and Megan, and a brother, Gareth, who are all keen cyclists. Ffion is a member of the British national mountain bike squad.[8] She attended King Henry VIII School in Abergavenny.[9]
James started her cycling career at the Abergavenny Road Club.[10]
In 2011, she 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.[11]
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.[12] 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.[11]
Later in 2009, James won the Daily Telegraph-Aviva Sport Matters Female Pupil of the Year award.[9][13]
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,[14] only to lose out to Gareth Bale.
James was under contract from 2011 with the British professional cycling Velosure–Giordana. She was selected for British Cycling's Olympic Development Programme, but was then fast tracked for the London 2012 Olympic Games.[15]
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]
James was due to represent Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 2014,[16] but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.[17]
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro James won silver medals in both the keirin and the Sprint.
In August 2017, James announced her retirement from cycling[18] to set up a baking business.[19]
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James enjoyed horse riding, and competed in show jumping, but no longer participates due to the risks associated interfering with her cycling commitments.[20] 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.[11][20] Her favourite place to ride her bike is Pollença, Mallorca.[11]
Her role models are Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.[11]
In June 2019, James married her long-term partner, the Welsh international rugby union player George North.[21][22]
On 5 May 2020 the couple announced the birth of their son Jac.[23]
Sprint Keirin
