Jessica Pfund

Jessica Pfund (born January 9, 1998) is a retired Swiss-American pair skater who represents Switzerland. With skating partner Joshua Santillan, she was the 2015 Autumn Classic International bronze medalist and has competed at two Grand Prix events. The pair was also the 2022 Swiss national champions. On May 3, 2023 the Disciplinary Chamber of Swiss Sport banned Jessica Pfund for four years for the presence and use of banned substances and ordered her to pay a fine.

Early career
Pfund began learning to skate in 2003. As a single skater, she won the juvenile bronze medal at the 2009 U.S. Junior Championships and placed 12th on the novice level at the 2011 U.S. Championships.

In the 2011–12 season, Pfund began competing in pair skating with AJ Reiss. In 2012, they appeared at two Junior Grand Prix events, placing 5th in Lake Placid, New York, and 7th in Chemnitz, Germany. Competing on the senior level, they placed tenth at the 2014 U.S. Championships. They were coached by Peter Oppegard in Artesia, California.

Partnership with Santillan
Pfund teamed up with Joshua Santillan in May 2015, following tryouts in Florida and Colorado Springs, Colorado. They decided to be coached by Lyndon Johnston in Ellenton, Florida, and, early in their partnership, also trained with Jim Peterson and Amanda Evora. Making their international debut, the pair won the bronze medal at the 2015 Autumn Classic International. Appearing as late replacements for Gretchen Donlan / Nathan Bartholomay, they finished 8th at their first Grand Prix event, the 2015 Skate America.

Pfund underwent surgery in mid-2016 due to two torn ligaments in her right foot and returned to the ice three months later. She and Santillan finished 8th at the 2016 Cup of China. Following the event, she had an amniotic stem cell injection to treat tendinitis in her anterior tendon and a bone cement injection for a chronic bruise in her talus bone. In January 2017, Santillan had a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. The pair placed 5th at the 2017 U.S. Championships.

In October 2020, Pfund and Santillan announced their intention to represent Switzerland in competition, but were told by the U.S. Figure Skating Federation that they would have to wait a year to be released. In July 2021, they announced they were allowed to represent Switzerland for the 2021-2022 season.

On March 18, 2022, they announced their retirement from competitive skating.

During competition control at the Elite Swiss Championships 2021, Pfund tested positive for the prohibited substances amphetamine, cocaine, and it's metabolites. After notification by Swiss Sport Integrity, the Pfund was unable to present an exception permit for therapeutic use (ATZ) of the medication containing amphetamine and as of May 3, 2023, she has been sentenced by the Swiss Sports Disciplinary Chamber (DK) to a four-year suspension for the presence and use of prohibited substances in competition. The suspension took effective on January 6, 2022 and is valid for all sports and any functions in sport worldwide. In addition, Pfund must pay control, analysis and procedure costs, compensation to Swiss Sport Integrity, and a fine in the total amount of CHF 4,210.

Competitive highlights
GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix