British ice dancers Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson narrowly missed out on a historic victory, claiming the bronze medal at the European Championships in Sheffield on Saturday. This marks the second consecutive year the pair have finished third, extending Britain's wait for a European title to 32 years since the legendary Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean last won gold in 1994.
A Podium Finish But Gold Eludes British Duo
Despite a strong performance in front of a passionate home crowd, Fear and Gibson were unable to clinch the top spot. The duo delivered a season's best score of 85.47 in the rhythm dance with a lively Spice Girls medley, placing them second ahead of the decisive free dance.
Their Scottish-themed free dance, set to a medley including 'The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond' and '500 Miles', was met with huge appreciation at the Utilita Arena. However, a minor slip exiting their twizzles and slight timing issues proved costly. Their combined total of 209.51 was not enough to hold off the challenge from Italy's reigning champions.
French New Pair and Italian Veterans Take Top Spots
The gold medal was won by France's Guillaume Cizeron, the 2022 Olympic champion, and his new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry. Skating together for just nine months, they lived up to their pre-event favourite status. A stunning free skate to 'The Whale' soundtrack earned them a season's best 135.50, sealing the title with a combined 222.43.
Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri pipped the Brits to silver by a mere 0.83 points. They produced a beautiful free dance to 'Diamanti', scoring 125.86 to achieve a total of 210.34 and secure their fifth successive European medal.
Building Momentum for the Winter Games
While the top step of the podium remained out of reach, this bronze represents Fear and Gibson's fourth European medal in a row, following two silvers and last year's bronze. This consistency highlights their status as serious contenders to end Britain's three-decade Olympic ice dance medal drought at next month's Winter Games.
The event in Sheffield capped a positive week for British skating overall. Ice dancers Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez finished a respectable 11th, improving on their 2025 result. Pairs skaters Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby came seventh, while singles skaters Kristen Spours and Edward Appleby also competed.
