British Ice Dancers Fear and Gibson in Tight Battle for Historic Winter Games Medal
British ice dancers Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson are firmly in contention for a historic medal at the Winter Games, following a strong performance in Monday's rhythm dance. The duo currently sit fourth in the standings, setting up an intense showdown for the podium in Wednesday's decisive free dance programme.
Rhythm Dance Performance and Standings
Fear and Gibson scored 85.47 points for their energetic Spice Girls medley routine, which proved popular with spectators at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Despite this solid score, the pair appeared slightly disappointed after a minor error in their twizzle section. They now trail the Canadian pair of Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier by just 0.7 points for the provisional bronze medal position.
The current standings are led by the French team of 2022 Olympic champion Guillaume Cizeron and his new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry, who posted an impressive score of 90.18. Close behind in second place are the USA's three-time world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who earned 89.72 points for their Lenny Kravitz-inspired programme.
Former European champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy occupy fifth place with 84.28 points. This creates a tight three-way battle for the bronze medal between the British, Canadian, and Italian teams heading into the free dance.
Historic Context and British Hopes
Fear and Gibson represent one of Team GB's strongest medal prospects at these Winter Games. The pair, who have skated together for a decade, ended a 41-year wait for a British world medal when they claimed bronze at last year's world championships in Boston. They have also secured podium finishes at the European Championships in each of the last four seasons.
The British duo have made history multiple times, becoming Britain's first-ever Grand Prix final medallists with back-to-back bronze medals in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. They have carried this exceptional form into the Milano-Cortina Winter Games, demonstrating consistent excellence on the international stage.
Additional British Success and Free Dance Outlook
Monday's rhythm dance brought further success for Team GB, as the young pair of Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez achieved a season's best score of 72.46. This performance qualified them for the free dance in 16th place, marking a promising development for British ice dancing's future.
All attention now turns to Wednesday's free dance, where Fear and Gibson must deliver an improved performance to secure Britain's first figure skating medal in three decades. With such narrow margins separating the bronze medal contenders, the final programme promises to be a dramatic and closely fought conclusion to the ice dancing competition.
