British Ice Dancers Chase First European Gold in 32 Years
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson dazzled their home crowd with a Spice Girls routine that put them in second place at the European Figure Skating Championships. The duo could become Britain's first European champions since Torvill and Dean in 1994.
A British ice dancing pair is one performance away from making history on home ice, bringing the Sheffield crowd to its feet with a showstopping Spice Girls medley.
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson earned a season-best score of 85.47 points in the rhythm dance portion of the European Figure Skating Championships on Friday. Their flawless routine, complete with Fear sparkling in a Union Jack dress reminiscent of Ginger Spice, placed them just 1.5 points behind French leaders Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
The stakes are high. No British skater has won European gold since ice dancing legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean claimed victory 32 years ago in 1994.
Fear and Gibson, nicknamed the "Disco Brits" for their bold, energetic style, have steadily climbed to the top of their sport. Last year they secured Britain's first World Championship medal in over 40 years, and they've stood on the European podium three years running.
The home crowd advantage made all the difference. "Even when I was warming up backstage with headphones on I could hear the crowd," Fear said after their performance. Their opening twizzles and step sequence particularly impressed the judges, earning positive marks across all five elements.
The Ripple Effect: Fear's journey from flower girl to potential champion captures the power of inspiration in action. At the 2012 European Championships in Sheffield, she handed bouquets to competitors while Gibson watched from the stands. "I was just in awe of all these skaters, thinking maybe I could do that," Fear recalled. Now competing in that same arena, she hopes to inspire the next generation.
Britain's depth in ice dancing showed through with second pair Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez finishing 11th with their own season-best score. The young duo, ages 20 and 24, skated to George Michael's "Freedom" and fed off the flag-waving crowd's energy despite relatively little pressure on them.
Saturday's free dance will decide the medals. Fear and Gibson plan to perform a Scottish-themed routine honoring his heritage, complete with tartan costumes.
After years of near-misses and steady improvement, Britain's dynamic duo gets one more chance to dance into history.
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Based on reporting by BBC Sport
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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