As the 2026 Winter Olympics burst into life in northern Italy, Team GB’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson are already making headlines—both on and off the ice. The British ice dancers, fresh off their European bronze medal win, have found themselves at the center of Olympic attention, not just for their athletic prowess but also for their symbolic role in this year’s Games.
On February 6, 2026, Lilah Fear was named a flagbearer for Team GB at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, sharing the honor with bobsledder Brad Hall. This isn’t just a nod to her achievements; it’s a historic moment for British figure skating. Fear is the first figure skater to carry the flag for Great Britain since Christopher Dean did so in 1984—a year etched in the nation’s sporting memory thanks to Dean and Jayne Torvill’s iconic Bolero routine in Sarajevo. The echoes of that legacy are impossible to ignore, and Fear herself is embracing the comparisons.
“I learned the statistic today and there is a lot where they come up in conversation around us, which is such a ‘pinch me’ moment. For that to be another one is so cool. I’ll take all the good energy for our Games in Milan,” Fear told reporters, her enthusiasm evident. Born in Connecticut but raised in the UK, Fear’s accent may sometimes catch fans off guard, but her loyalty to Team GB is unwavering. She reminisced about her early days, saying, “It exceeds my wildest dreams. I dreamed of going to the Olympics but the flagbearer part of it was never on my radar. I didn’t think it was possible.”
Her journey began at London’s Queens Ice Bowl, where she once wore a makeshift Team GB jacket to school, bursting with pride. “They would say ‘that’s not the uniform, please take it off’ but I felt so proud to be Team GB and all those different jackets that I acquired over the years,” she recalled. Now, as she stands ready to lead her nation into the Olympic arena, the gravity of the moment isn’t lost on her. “Lewis is so proud of me. It’s a little strange that it’s just me holding it but I represent both of us. I wouldn’t be here without Lewis, we are Lilah and Lewis. It’s really beautiful that I am holding a flag representing skating here in Milan. It’s not just me, it’s something bigger than us. It also connects us to all the flagbearers and athletes at previous Olympic Games and all of those dreaming of being at future Olympic Games.”
But the honor comes with its own set of challenges—and a touch of humor. Fear admitted, “I don’t know if we get to practise. I’m strong at what I do on the ice but I’m not strong at carrying large things, I’m five foot two, so I’m not sure what is going to happen. I might have to visualise and hope for the best.” The anticipation and nerves are understandable, considering her packed schedule. On the day of the opening ceremony, she and Gibson were up at 6am for practice before their Olympic campaign officially kicked off in the team event at 10am local time. After cheering on their teammates, Fear had just an hour to prepare for the glitz and glamour of the ceremony itself.
The opening days of competition have already delivered drama and excitement. On February 6, the figure skating events commenced with qualifiers in ice dancing rhythm dance, pairs skating short program, and women’s singles skating short program. The United States’ Madison Chock and Evan Bates took the top spot in the qualifying rhythm dance team event, while France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron secured second. Fear and Gibson claimed third, keeping British hopes very much alive as the Games progress.
Elsewhere in the figure skating qualifiers, Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara led the pairs, and Kaori Sakamoto topped the women’s singles, with Alysa Liu of the United States and Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann rounding out the top three. These early results set the stage for what promises to be a fiercely contested series of events, with the world’s best skaters vying for Olympic glory.
The schedule for the coming days is relentless. For Team GB, the focus is not only on figure skating but also on a host of other events. According to the official program, Fear and Gibson will return to the ice for the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance event on February 9 at 6:20 p.m. GMT, joined by fellow Brits Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez. The Free Dance is set for February 11 at 6:30 p.m. GMT, offering another chance for the duo to shine on the Olympic stage.
It’s not just figure skating capturing British attention. A record 53 athletes are representing Team GB across multiple disciplines, with UK Sport projecting a possible medal haul of four to eight—potentially the best in British Winter Olympics history. The previous best was five medals, achieved in both Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018. The optimism is palpable, and with a packed schedule featuring freestyle skiing, speed skating, curling, skeleton, and snowboarding, British fans have plenty to cheer for.
For those following from home, TNT Sports on discovery+ is the go-to destination in the UK, offering over 850 hours of live coverage from every sport, venue, and medal event at Milano Cortina 2026. With so much action unfolding, viewers won’t miss a moment of the drama, whether it’s on the ice, the slopes, or the track.
As the Games continue, all eyes remain on Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson—not just for their performances, but for the way they carry the hopes and history of British figure skating into a new era. The comparisons to Torvill and Dean are flattering, but Fear and Gibson are carving their own legacy, one routine at a time. The Olympic journey is just beginning, and for these talented skaters, the dream is very much alive.
With the rhythm dance and free dance events just ahead, and Team GB’s athletes pushing for new records across the board, the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are shaping up to be a defining chapter in British winter sports. The competition is fierce, the stakes are high, and the storylines are as compelling as ever. Stay tuned—this is one Olympic adventure you won’t want to miss.