Britain's hopes of a first figure skating medal since 1994 came crashing down in Milan as Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson slumped to seventh place in the Olympic ice dance final following a costly early error.
The 26-year-old Fear stumbled during the twizzle sequence near the start of their Scottish-themed free dance, a mistake that proved fatal to their medal ambitions with legendary duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean watching from the stands.
"I can't believe I just did that," Fear said through a forced smile while awaiting the judges' verdict. "I feel so bad, I'm devastated. I'm in shock; I can't believe it happened. It's such a shame because I know what we're capable of."
The pair had entered the free dance in fourth position, just 0.71 points off the podium.
Their Highland Fling-inspired routine to The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, Auld Lang Syne and The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) had delighted the crowd, but the technical shortcomings proved insurmountable.
Having been seen in tears after leaving the ice, Fear added: "I don't have the words yet and it will take a while to process it."
The setback echoed a similar misfortune at the recent European Championships in Sheffield, where Gibson's twizzle error saw them drop off the podium.
This time it was Fear who faltered, with far greater consequences.
Britain's hopes of a first figure skating medal since 1994 came crashing down in Milan as Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson slumped to seventh place
|REUTERS
Fear said: "I think my eight-year-old self would be really proud of me. I wanted to come out here and enjoy the Olympic experience and skate for me and skate for Lewis."
Torvill and Dean remain the benchmark for British ice dance, having last claimed Olympic silverware with bronze at Lillehammer more than three decades ago.
Their dominance in the early 1980s saw them capture four world titles, four European crowns and Olympic gold, with 24 million viewers tuning in for their iconic Bolero performance in 1984.
Gibson was inspired to take up skating in 2006 after watching the Nottingham pair on Dancing on Ice, and formed a partnership with fear a decade later.
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Lilah Fear stumbled during the twizzle sequence near the start of their Scottish-themed free dance
|REUTERS
Fear said: "Back then, we were so horrible, but they always had faith and belief in us, and it meant a lot."
Their advice was simple: "Enjoy it."
Fear and Gibson had become known as the "Disco Brits" since 2018 for their vibrant, crowd-pleasing performances.
Their breakthrough came in 2023 when they began a run of four consecutive European Championship medals, followed by their first World Championship podium finish last year.
The pair had entered the free dance in fourth position, just 0.71 points off the podium
|REUTERS
France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron claimed gold with 225.82 points, while American married couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates secured silver.
Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took bronze with a huge personal best of 217.74, more than 10 points clear of the British pair's 204.32.
Despite the crushing disappointment, Dean expressed hope that Fear and Gibson would press on towards another Games.
He said: "It would be amazing for British ice skating."
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