Britain's ice dance duo Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson missed out on winning the European Figure Skating Championships gold medal for 32 years, falling short of a historic victory due to timing issues in their free dance routine. The pair, dubbed the "Disco Brits" for their funky music choice, took second place behind French skaters Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
Fear, 26, and Gibson, 31, had been in the lead following the rhythm dance, but a mistake in the synchronized twizzles of their free dance routine cost them the top spot. Despite this, they still managed to finish on the podium for the fourth consecutive Europeans, adding to their previous bronze medal from 2025.
The duo's performance was praised by the crowd, with Fear stating that their strong start and flawless execution had earned them a standing ovation. However, Gibson acknowledged that timing issues were a concern, saying "In my head I was like, that's not ideal. But we have so much experience, these things do happen."
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron took gold with a total score of 181.72 points in the men's singles event. Meanwhile, Britain's Nika Egadze won the men's singles gold, while Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby finished fourth.
The result marks a disappointing end to Fear and Gibson's European campaign, but it still sets them up for the possibility of ending Team GB's three-decade wait for an Olympic figure skating podium spot in Milan next month.
Fear, 26, and Gibson, 31, had been in the lead following the rhythm dance, but a mistake in the synchronized twizzles of their free dance routine cost them the top spot. Despite this, they still managed to finish on the podium for the fourth consecutive Europeans, adding to their previous bronze medal from 2025.
The duo's performance was praised by the crowd, with Fear stating that their strong start and flawless execution had earned them a standing ovation. However, Gibson acknowledged that timing issues were a concern, saying "In my head I was like, that's not ideal. But we have so much experience, these things do happen."
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron took gold with a total score of 181.72 points in the men's singles event. Meanwhile, Britain's Nika Egadze won the men's singles gold, while Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby finished fourth.
The result marks a disappointing end to Fear and Gibson's European campaign, but it still sets them up for the possibility of ending Team GB's three-decade wait for an Olympic figure skating podium spot in Milan next month.
u gotta feel 4 lilah & lewis tho 
they were SO close 2 winin that gold 
& their music was literally everything 
i mean, who doesn't love disco? 
but timing issues r a real bummer, i get it tho 
they've been in the lead for years now & it's def not easy 2 come from behind 
still, 2nd place is better than nothin 
& 4th consecutive Europeans isn't too shabby 
so let's keep an eye on them 4 milan 
i'm keepin' all hope alive for team gb 
. I mean, their performance was on point, they had the crowd going wild 
. On the bright side, this is still a huge step forward for Team GB, and if they can keep this momentum going, we might actually see that Olympic podium spot soon 
. I'm calling it now: 2026 Olympics in Milan, watch out world! 
I mean, I feel bad for Lilah and Lewis, they were so close to winning that gold medal... Timing issues can be tough to deal with under pressure. Interesting how they're already looking on the bright side though, thinking about how this could set them up for an Olympic spot! 
I'm so bummed that Lilah & Lewis didn't win that gold medal 
... those Disco Brits had this one in the bag! 
But, you know what? 2nd place isn't half bad 
and it's still a record-breaking result for them. I love how they're already looking forward to Milan next month - Team GB's got some serious hopes now 
. What do you think went wrong? Was it just a minor mistake or something more major? Need some video analysis or interviews from the skaters themselves to really understand what happened... 
. It's like they were so close, but then that one mistake happened... it's like watching a music video on VHS and the tape skips right when you're getting to the good part 
. You know how we used to have those music videos with the live performances? This pair was giving me those vibes 
! Anyway, I'm still hyped for them though - they're like that one friend who always shows up to parties with a great playlist 
. Plus, they're on their way to making history at the Olympics next month... fingers crossed! 
One mistake in their routine and they go from 1st to 2nd place? It's like, what even is that?! 
. It's not all bad though, they're still on podium for four years in a row, which is impressive. And now they get to try again at the Olympics, so fingers crossed for them 
. I just don't get why people are so invested in figure skating competitions. Can't we all just chill for once? 
I mean, don't get me wrong, they skated well, but was that routine really necessary? did they not want Lilah & Lewis to have a chance at gold? anyway, still gonna root for them, maybe they'll pull off that Olympic podium next month 
I feel so bad for Lilah & Lewis 
hope they learn from this and come back even stronger for the Olympics in Milan next month 
! I mean, second place isn't bad, right? They've been on a roll for Europeans and it's clear they're one of the best pairs out there. That funk music choice though... always gets the crowd going 
. Still sad they didn't take the top spot, but I'm SO stoked they're heading to Milan for the Olympics next month 
still, 4th place is awesome tho 
can't wait for Milan!
They were on top for a sec and then that one mistake cost 'em everything... Timing issues can be super frustrating, but they're still an amazing pair and totally deserving of that bronze! 