Lilah Fear and Brad Hall to be Team GB flagbearers at 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Bobsledder Brad Hall and figure skater Lilah Fear will carry the British flag at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday. The two athletes were chosen by Team GB chef de mission Eve Muirhead to represent Britain at the event.
Hall, 35, said he was initially shocked when approached to be the flagbearer, but then felt honored to have been given the role. Fear, 26, admitted she was "overwhelmed" and had to hide her emotions after being asked to take part.
The ceremony in Milan will mark the start of the figure skating events, while Hall's event will take place in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Both athletes expressed their pride at being chosen for the role, with Fear saying it was a "bittersweet" experience to be carrying the flag for Team GB but also representing herself.
Hall and Fear are competing in team events but will carry the British flag individually during the opening ceremony. They follow in the footsteps of fellow bobsledder Stuart Parkinson, who carried the flag at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The pair is hoping to win Britain's first Olympic figure skating medal since Torvill and Dean earned bronze at Lillehammer 1994, having won World Championship bronze in 2025.
Bobsledder Brad Hall and figure skater Lilah Fear will carry the British flag at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday. The two athletes were chosen by Team GB chef de mission Eve Muirhead to represent Britain at the event.
Hall, 35, said he was initially shocked when approached to be the flagbearer, but then felt honored to have been given the role. Fear, 26, admitted she was "overwhelmed" and had to hide her emotions after being asked to take part.
The ceremony in Milan will mark the start of the figure skating events, while Hall's event will take place in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Both athletes expressed their pride at being chosen for the role, with Fear saying it was a "bittersweet" experience to be carrying the flag for Team GB but also representing herself.
Hall and Fear are competing in team events but will carry the British flag individually during the opening ceremony. They follow in the footsteps of fellow bobsledder Stuart Parkinson, who carried the flag at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The pair is hoping to win Britain's first Olympic figure skating medal since Torvill and Dean earned bronze at Lillehammer 1994, having won World Championship bronze in 2025.
can't wait to see her skate her heart out on the ice and hopefully bring home that first GB medal since forever 
I'm so excited for Brad Hall and Lilah Fear! They're gonna represent the UK at the Olympics and I just know they're gonna do amazing things out there on the ice and in the bobsled 
. It's such a huge honor to carry the flag, I can imagine how nervous Lilah was when she found out - but now it's time for her to shine 
! And Brad being the sportsman that he is, must've thought about it and decided to take on the challenge 
. Now we just gotta get behind them all the way and wish 'em good luck 
. Bring home that medal, guys!
think its a cool thing lilah fear & brad hall gettin to carry the british flag at the olympics opening ceremony 
its also nice that theyre competing in team events but gettin to carry the flag individually at the opening ceremony 
. It shows they're not just focused on winning medals but also about representing their country proudly. I'm sure it's an honor for them to be chosen, especially with all the hard work they've put into their training. I hope they do well and bring home a medal for Britain! 
My kids are really getting excited about the Olympics and watching Brad and Lilah compete will definitely add to the excitement 
But I guess it's cool that they get to represent Britain, even if it's not their main sport. Lilah seems super nice and a bit emotional about it, and Brad is all calm and stuff 
OMG, I'm so hyped for Brad Hall and Lilah Fear 
! Can you imagine carrying that British flag with pride? 
. I mean, Lilah Fear is literally a figure skater, so she knows what it takes to excel on the ice 
. Now let's get hyped for Britain's chance at their first Olympic medal in figure skating 
๏ธ! i mean, who doesnt love a good underdog story? lilah's all about figure skating and brad's on bobsledding... they're like total opposite sports, but hey, being british is all about being proud of each other's weird talents 
that would've been epic if they won medals for team gb tho 
๏ธโ
! It's awesome to see these talented athletes representing Britain on a global stage. However, I gotta wonder if they'll be able to live up to the pressure of winning that first Olympic figure skating medal in years... 
Man, I'm all nostalgic for the Winter Games back in my day 
. Remember when figure skating was more about artistry than just tricks? 
Lilah Fear and Brad Hall are cool, but I wish they were competing in the same way as Torvill and Dean did way back when... like, what's with the need to win all the time?! 
It's not like it's a competition to see who can make the most money off their sponsors. Can't we just enjoy the beauty of it all? 
And, gotta say, carrying the flag is such a big deal, I wish they didn't have to worry about winning medals. What if they just wanted to skate for the love of it? 
, she's gotta be feelin' some pressure now! And can we talk about how much I wanna watch their performances in the Olympics? Fingers crossed they bring home that first Olympic medal for figure skating since '94 
... I mean, it's a pretty niche sport. Not everyone's gonna be into that sort of thing. What if Brad Hall gets too hot during the ceremony and his hair falls flat? 
. Let's focus on actually winning some medals instead of just waving a piece of fabric around 
Their story is so inspiring, from Lilah being "overwhelmed" but trying not to show it