Two-time world pairs champion Eric Radford returning to competition

France's Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres perform their pairs short program during the ISU World Team Trophy Figure Skating competition in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, in this Friday, April 12, 2019, file photo. Two-time Olympian Vanessa James of France will be performing at Figure Skating in Harlem's 2021 Champions in Life Virtual Gala on Thursday, April 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Toru Hanai, File)

OTTAWA — Two-time world pairs champion Eric Radford is coming out of retirement.

The 36-year-old, who won two world figure skating titles and an Olympic bronze medal for Canada in 2018 with Meagan Duhamel, will skate with Vanessa James next season.

The 33-year-old James is from Toronto, but previously competed internationally for France.

"I'm looking forward to this new partnership with Vanessa and getting back on the ice and doing what we love," Radford said in a statement. "Vanessa and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent Canada this coming season and are looking forward to see what the future holds for our partnership."

"Partnering up with Eric is a very exciting career opportunity. I am looking forward to a season full of inspiration, joy and personal growth," James said. "We're both very much looking forward to this new chapter in our lives."

Neither skater competed in a 2020-21 season that was all but wiped out by COVID-19.

They'll train in Quebec with coach Julie Marcotte.

Duhamel sounded blindsided by the news in a tweet she posted Wednesday.

"The professional skating career that Eric and I had worked so hard for has now come to an abrupt end, and that breaks my heart and hurts me so deeply," she wrote.

In her long Twitter post, Duhamel said she only learned of the new partnership when it was finalized and a press release had been written. Duhamel said she and Radford had a verbal agreement on doing professional shows together, and that she hadn't been asked if she had any interest in a competitive comeback with Radford.

Radford and Duhamel also captured Olympic gold in the team event in 2018, and were seven-time national champions. They announced their retirement in 2018.

Duhamel became a mom to daughter, Zoey, in October of 2019.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2021