Fear and Gibson: British pair can win Olympic medal in 2026 – if they are flawless

In Sheffield, there was only one show in town.

You could have your photo taken on the arena concourse with a pleasure-beach style cut-out – your face on the bodies of Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson.

Nicknamed the ‘Disco Brits’, when they wowed the crowd with their Spice Girls-themed rhythm-dance routine, it also drew applause from the band’s official account on Instagram.

There were misty eyed stories of how, the last time the European Figure Skating Championships were held in Sheffield in 2012, Fear was a flower girl.

And here she was now, living a lifelong dream, having designed her own dresses for the competition.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics almost upon us, prepare to hear the names Fear and Gibson plenty of times over the coming weeks.

But when the glitter settles on the Europeans, there is one big question: are they good enough to win an Olympic medal?

The answer is yes – but only if they are flawless.

Fear and Gibson won bronze on Saturday to secure their fourth European medal in as many competitions. But it could, maybe should have been more.

In the rhythm dance, they earned a season’s-best score, putting them second on the leader board before the decisive free dance.

But in just the second element of nine in their free routine, Gibson slipped slightly into the synchronised twizzles, and the gold was gone.

In Milan, they will take on Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, clear favourites for gold and stablemates of Fear and Gibson at the Ice Academy of Montreal under renowned coach Romain Haguenauer.

There is also reigning Olympic champion Guillaime Cizeron, who only partnered with Laurence Fournier Beaudry in March. They already have a European gold to show from what looks like a world-class partnership.

So, Fear and Gibson have a tough road ahead if they are to claim Britain’s first Olympic figure skating medal since Dame Jayne Torvill and Sir Christopher Dean at Lillehammer 1994.

In a discipline in which many partnerships are competing together by their mid-teens, their’s is an unusual story.

Fear, now 26, and 31-year-old Gibson first trained together in Montreal in 2016 – Fear was a junior ice dancer but Gibson was new to the discipline. He had only taken up skating aged 11, before switching to ice dance at 21.

But in their first season together they won the British title, and a man who knows all about Olympic triumph, Robin Cousins, thinks their differences from the norm are their greatest strengths.

«They don’t have a history, meaning unlike some of the couples they are competing with they came together late in their careers,» Cousins, who won Olympic figure skating gold in 1980, told BBC Sport.

«That gave it an edge, there was no time to play catch up and it worked, they found a niche in the way they perform compared to everyone else. People love them and how they perform.

«To have it so clean and proficient takes time, and it is time they have not had. They are trying to mould themselves and hone the bladework which others have had a lot more time doing.

«But the possibility is fantastic for them. If I were to speak to them, it would be to say that what other people think of you is none of your business.»

Fear and Gibson’s uniqueness is present in their routines. As well as the Spice Girls compilation, their free programme is a tribute to Gibson’s Scottish roots with a mix of «The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond», «Auld Lang Syne», and The Proclaimers hit «I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)». They worked with highland dance experts to perfect the choreography.

«They’re the hits!» Fear said of their musical tastes. «We started the season with a slower middle, but we changed it to an upbeat piece – they are crowd favourites.»

They are also not afraid to go against the figure skating mould off the ice. Gibson, who is gay, said at the Europeans that he would like to see same-sex partnerships allowed on the international stage in his event, adding his voice to a growing movement in favour of the change.

On the ice, they still have momentum. Since finishing 10th at Beijing 2022, Fear and Gibson have won the first World Championship medal for Great Britain in more than 40 years, were ranked first by the ISU after the 2024-25 season and have won continental medals at every opportunity.

«We’ve grown so much since Beijing, and to come into this season with the momentum we’ve built feels really meaningful,» Fear said.

«If I think back to four years ago the Olympics was such a huge thing,» Gibson added. «It was during Covid so it was even more heightened – you just want to make it there. Our biggest focus was just to get there and become Olympians but this time there doesn’t feel so much pressure.»

So, to Milan. Fear told their post-Sheffield news conference that they will fly out to Italy on 31 January for a few days of practice before the figure skating team event -followed by their big shot at a medal.

«There is a great respect amid the fun camaraderie,» said Cousins. «They have their own lives, that is very important for people who work in such a tight environment.

«And there is an amazing confidence – it is not arrogance, it is confidence, they carry that on to the ice when others don’t.

«The visibility is great, but to know how hard they have worked in the last few years – all we hope is that they step off the ice in Milan happy. What the judges decide to do is up to them. There is a chance [of a medal] – they must do their best and hope for the best.»