Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson suffer agonizing fourth as Britain’s ice dance medal wait goes on
On Wednesday night (ET), Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson narrowly missed out on a historic ice dance medal at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing fourth after a costly free dance that left them fractions shy of the podium.
A medal bid turns to heartbreak
Entering the free dance in fourth after a vibrant Spice Girls-themed rhythm dance on Monday, Fear and Gibson skated in the pressure-packed final group with a clear path to the podium. Their aim was to end a three-decade figure skating medal drought for Team GB, a wait stretching back to a bronze in 1994 and the iconic gold a decade earlier.
They chose a Scottish-inspired medley for the decisive skate, weaving in crowd-pleasers like I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), Loch Lomond, and Auld Lang Syne. The concept promised connection and momentum, and the pair were positioned to strike. But in a discipline where precision is everything, a handful of small but telling errors undercut the program’s scoring potential and ultimately their medal dream.
Errors in the free dance prove costly
Fear and Gibson’s free dance score of 118.85 was well below their season’s best and only ninth among the field for that segment. The result was a slide in overall momentum just when medals were being decided. While the energy and choreography of the program resonated with the arena, the technical panels rewarded clean edges, levels, and timing—areas where the missteps took their toll.
It was a harsh twist after the poise and punch they displayed in the rhythm dance, which had left them within touching distance of third place. Before the finale, Olympic champion Robin Cousins highlighted their focus and connection, noting the value of skating first in the last flight and urging them to “get out there” and feed off the audience. For long stretches, they did—only for margins to deal the final verdict.
Final standings and razor-thin margins
The podium was ultimately decided by the slimmest of gaps. Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri surged to gold with 209.58. Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik of the United States claimed silver on 206.72, while Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevičius secured bronze with 204.66. Fear and Gibson finished fourth at 204.32, a mere 0.34 short of the bronze—a margin that underscores how one level, one step sequence, or one twizzle can separate jubilation from heartbreak.
The narrow miss will sting given how tightly bunched the leaders were and how competitive the British pair have been across the past four seasons. Their body of work on the major stage has consistently put them in the elite conversation, and this campaign was no different—right up until the decisive errors arrived.
From Spice Girls spark to Proclaimers passion
Fear and Gibson’s program choices this week showcased their trademark showmanship and audience rapport. The rhythm dance channeled punchy charisma through a Spice Girls medley, vaulting them into the final group for the free dance. The closing routine pivoted to Scottish roots and arena singalongs, aiming to harness collective energy for a last push. The strategy aligned with what has made the pair so popular: dynamic musical identities and clear storytelling that can lift a building.
On Monday, their composure in warm-up and on the ice drew plaudits for looking sharp and centered at the right moment. By Wednesday night (ET), with the medal picture sharpening, the program’s demanding elements left too much room for deductions. Even so, the total score kept them in medal contention until the final teams finished—proof of how competitive they remained across the two phases.
Team GB’s wait continues, but promise endures
Britain’s bid to reset its Olympic figure skating medal count will extend beyond Milan-Cortina, but Fear and Gibson leave with another chapter of elite contention and a reminder of how quickly fortunes can turn in ice dance. Their near-miss—just over three-tenths from the podium—will rank among the closest calls of the Games and could fuel their next cycle.
Across a busy Wednesday slate, there were headline performances elsewhere on the ice and snow. In speed skating, American talent Jordan Stolz set an Olympic record to capture the men’s 1,000m after a dramatic re-skate scenario for a leading rival. The host nation celebrated a sweep in doubles luge, taking both men’s and women’s golds. And Team GB opened the men’s curling campaign with a confidence-boosting win over China.
For Fear and Gibson, Wednesday night (ET) closed with visible disappointment, but also with the knowledge they were again among the world’s best on the sport’s biggest stage. The thin line between fourth and a medal may well become the spark for what comes next.
