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Phebe Bekker

Phebe Bekker (born 27 July 2005) is an English ice dancer who represents Great Britain. With her current skating partner, James Hernandez, she is a two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix silver medalist, a two-time British junior national champion (2021–2022), finished top 10 at the 2022 World Junior Championships and placed 4th at the 2023 World Junior Championships.

Phebe Bekker
Bekker and Hernandez at the 2024 World Championships
Born (2005-07-27) 27 July 2005 (age 19)
London, England
HometownAshtead, Surrey, England
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Figure skating career
Country United Kingdom
PartnerJames Hernandez
CoachNicholas Buckland, Penny Coomes, Zhanna Palagina
Skating clubGuildford Figure Skating Club
Began skating2014

Bekker/Hernandez are the first British ice dance team to win a medal on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit and are the first British ice skaters to qualify for ISU Junior Grand Prix Final (2022-2023) .[1]

Personal life

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Bekker was born on 27 July 2005 in Epsom, Surrey, England to a British mother and a Dutch father. She is currently a high school student, and homeschools through Wolsey Hall, Oxford.[2]

Career

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Early years

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Bekker began learning how to skate at age eight by attending public skate sessions with a friend. She is a two-time (2018, 2019) British solo ice dance champion, and transitioned to partnered ice dance in 2019. She competed domestically with her first partner, Theodore Alexander, for the 2019–20 season before teaming up with her current partner, James Hernandez.[3]

2021–22 season: International junior debut

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Bekker/Hernandez made their international debut as a team on ISU Junior Grand Prix at the 2021 JGP Slovenia in late September. They were tenth in both segments of competition to place tenth overall. At their second assignment, the 2021 JGP Poland, Bekker/Hernandez placed eighth in the rhythm dance and seventh in the free dance to finish finally in eighth place.[4]

In November, Bekker/Hernandez won their first junior national title at the 2021 British Championships, leading silver medalists Bushell/Lapsky by nearly 30 points. Bekker said of the win, "After such a relatively short time together, we are delighted to win our first British title."[5] Due to their placement at nationals, Bekker/Hernandez were named to the British team for the 2022 World Junior Championships in Tallinn. Before Junior Worlds, Bekker/Hernandez were assigned to the Egna Dance Trophy where they finished seventh. Competing in Tallinn, Bekker/Hernandez were tenth in the rhythm dance and eleventh in the free dance to place tenth overall.[4]

2022–23 season

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Bekker and Hernandez at the 2022 Junior Grand Prix Final

Beginning the new season at British Ice Skating's new Britannia Cup event, Bekker/Hernandez won gold.[4] On the Junior Grand Prix, Bekker/Hernandez won the silver medal at the 2022 JGP Czech Republic.[6][1] They won a second silver medal at the 2022 JGP Poland I, in the process becoming the first British dance team to qualify for a Junior Grand Prix Final.[7] Following the end of the Junior Grand Prix, they won their second British junior national title.[4]

Competing at the Final in Torino, they finished second in the rhythm dance, aided by a double-fall by pre-event favourites Mrázková/Mrázek. Hernandez commented on attending the event, saying it was "a really surreal moment, walking down the steps. We've never walked into an area with ambient lighting before. It felt very special."[8] They were overtaken in the free dance by both Lim/Quan of South Korea and Mrázková/Mrázek, finishing fourth overall.[9]

In the new year, Bekker/Hernandez own the bronze medal at the Bavarian Open, finishing behind Grimm/Savitskiy of Germany and Americans Neset/Markelov.[10] They entered the 2023 World Junior Championships in Calgary as possible podium contenders, and set a new personal best score of 68.89 in the rhythm dance, finishing 0.89 points ahead of Canadian team Bashynska/Beaumont, who had been expected to contend for the title but erred on their pattern segment. Bekker/Hernandez earned a bronze small medal for the segment.[11][12] In the free dance they set another new personal best, but they finished fourth in the segment and, by 0.06 points, fourth overall behind the Canadians due to a one-point deduction for an extended lift. Bekker said that they had "mixed feelings and emotions" about the outcome.[13][14]

2023–24 season

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Hernandez underwent an elbow procedure in the off-season, hindering the team's work on their lifts in the leadup to their senior debut. Both said, looking at the season ahead, that they wanted to avoid a "soft launch" that that level.[15] Making their first appearance on the Challenger circuit at the 2023 CS Nepela Memorial, Bekker/Hernandez finished eighth.[4]

Bekker/Hernandez made their senior British championship debut, winning the silver medal. They were assigned to join national champions Fear/Gibson at the 2024 European Championships.[16] The following weekend they competed at the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, finishing fourth overall and in the process earning the necessary technical minimum scores to take the second British dance berth at the World Championships.[17]

At the European Championships in Kaunas, Bekker/Hernandez finished seventeenth. They called the well-attended event "an eye-opening experience."[18] At season's end, they made their World Championship debut at the 2024 edition in Montreal. They finished twenty-first in the rhythm dance, 0.53 points behind twentieth-place Komatsubara/Koleto of Japan, and thus narrowly missed qualification to the free dance. Despite this, Bekker and Hernandez said that the event was "such a valuable opportunity and we enjoyed every second of it!" [19]

Programs

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With Hernandez

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2024–2025
[20]
2023–2024
[21]
2022–2023
[22]
  • Pray
    by Sam Smith
    choreo. by Penny Coomes, Nicholas Buckland, Chellie Fig
2021–2022
[23]

Competitive highlights

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JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Hernandez

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International [4]
Event 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Worlds 21st
Europeans 17th
CS Denis Ten Memorial 7th
CS Golden Spin 4th TBD
CS Nepela Memorial 8th
CS Trophée Métropole Nice 6th
Pavel Roman Memorial 1st
Swiss Open 2nd
International: Junior [4]
Junior Worlds 10th 4th
JGP Final 4th
JGP Czech Republic 2nd
JGP Poland 8th 2nd
JGP Slovenia 10th
Bavarian Open 3rd
Britannia Cup 1st
Egna Dance Trophy 7th
National
British Champ. 1st J 1st J 2nd

Detailed results

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [24]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 169.74 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Short program TSS 68.89 2023 World Junior Championships
TES 38.40 2023 World Junior Championships
PCS 30.49 2023 World Junior Championships
Free skating TSS 102.96 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
TES 57.26 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
PCS 46.44 2023 World Junior Championships

ISU personal bests highlighted in bold.

With Hernandez

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Senior results

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2024-25 season
Date Event RD FD Total
November 9-10, 2024 2024 Pavel Roman Memorial 1
69.94 		1
110.37 		1
180.31
October 16-20, 2024 2024 CS Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur 6
67.77 		6
101.85 		6
169.62
October 3-5, 2024 2024 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge 8
64.07 		7
102.88 		7
166.95
2023–24 season
Date Event RD FD Total
March 18–24, 2024 2024 World Championships 21
66.39
- 		21
66.39
January 10–14, 2024 2024 European Championships 19
61.19 		17
93.56 		17
154.75
December 6–9, 2023 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 4
66.78 		4
102.96 		4
169.74
Nov. 30 – December 3, 2023 2023 British Championships 2
74.80 		2
115.97 		2
190.77
October 26-29, 2023 2023 Swiss Ice Skating Open 2
69.63 		2
107.43 		2
177.06
September 28-30, 2023 2023 CS Nepela Memorial 8
63.90 		7
98.32 		8
162.22

Junior results

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2022–23 season
Date Event RD FD Total
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5, 2023 2023 World Junior Championships 3
68.89 		4
100.18 		4
169.07
Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2023 2023 Bavarian Open 2
66.32 		3
93.98 		3
160.30
December 8–11, 2022 2022–23 Junior Grand Prix Final 2
64.58 		4
92.39 		4
156.97
December 1–4, 2022 2022 British Junior Championships 1
65.40 		1
96.15 		1
161.55
Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2022 2022 JGP Poland I 3
64.17 		2
94.68 		2
158.85
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2022 2022 JGP Czech Republic 2
65.19 		2
94.36 		2
159.55
August 26–28, 2022 2022 Britannia Cup 1
55.09 		1
86.37 		1
141.46
2021–22 season
Date Event RD FD Total
April 13–17, 2022 2022 World Junior Championships 10
56.63 		11
81.53 		10
138.16
February 4–6, 2022 2022 Egna Trophy 4
61.56 		8
82.78 		7
144.34
January 20–26, 2021 2021 British Junior Championships 1
60.51 		1
87.52 		1
148.03
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, 2021 2021 JGP Poland 8
50.84 		7
80.57 		8
131.41
August 28–31, 2019 2021 JGP Slovenia 10
50.24 		10
78.23 		10
128.47

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bekker and Hernandez secure GB's first Junior Grand Prix Ice Dance medal". British Ice Skating. September 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Bekker, Phebe. "Studying with Wolsey Hall – by skater, Phebe Bekker". Wolsey Hall, Oxford. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "Skater – Phebe Bekker". Wolsey Hall, Oxford. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  5. ^ Rice, Liam (January 27, 2021). "Wolsey Hall Oxford student takes junior ice skating crown". Oxford Mail.
  6. ^ "Newcomers dominate at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava (CZE)". International Skating Union. September 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "Shimada (JPN) scores second Junior Grand Prix victory". International Skating Union. October 3, 2022.
  8. ^ "Bashynska/Beaumont (CAN) bring the ballroom to top Junior Rhythm Dance". International Skating Union. December 9, 2022.
  9. ^ "Bashynska/Beaumont follow legends Virtue/Moir with Canada's first Junior Grand Prix Dance gold since 2006". International Skating Union. December 10, 2022.
  10. ^ "2023 Bavarian Open". Bayerischer Eissport-Verband. January 2023.
  11. ^ "Mrazkova/Mrazek (CZE) tango to the lead in Junior World Rhythm Dance". International Skating Union. March 4, 2023.
  12. ^ Slater, Paula (March 4, 2023). "Mrazkova and Mrazek take narrow lead in Calgary". Golden Skate.
  13. ^ "Mrazkova/Mrazek claim first ever World Junior Ice Dance title for Czech Republic". International Skating Union. March 4, 2023.
  14. ^ Slater, Paula (March 4, 2023). "Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek make history in Calgary". Golden Skate.
  15. ^ Knight, Sarah (September 17, 2023). "Talking the 2023/24 Season With: Fear/Gibson, Bekker/Hernandez, and Karnes/Carr". Anything GOEs. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  16. ^ Bradley, Jane (December 4, 2023). "Scots win national titles at British Figure Skating Championships". The Scotsman. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "Worlds Scores Achieved in Zagreb!". British Ice Skating. December 12, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  18. ^ "One of the most successful European Championships with the biggest team in a decade". British Ice Skating. January 24, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  19. ^ "GB's Fear/Gibson Fourth in World: World Figure Skating Championships 2024". British Ice Skating. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  20. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024.
  21. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023.
  22. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023.
  23. ^ "Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022.
  24. ^ "GBR-Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ". Skating Scores. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
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