Winter Olympics 2026: Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson on Torvill and Dean comparisons, Dancing on Ice and medal hopes

Lilah and Lewis. Possibly a pair of figure skaters who could emulate the great Torvill and Dean.

While to many nowadays Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean may be known as judges on Dancing on Ice, they are arguably the greatest figure skating pair to grace the ice.

In 1984 at the Sarajevo Olympics, Torvill and Dean stopped time for a few moments. It was a different era, of course, but 24m Brits flicked on their TVs and became experts in figure skating. Although what the pair produced stunned the world.

Their now legendary performance accompanied by Maurice Ravel's Bolero produced the highest score for figure skaters for a single programme. Twelve perfect 6.0s and six 5.9s, which included perfect 6.0s from every judge. They won Olympic gold by a country mile.

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So that's some comparison to live up to for Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson - but there is some justification.

The pair are breaking through, reaching consistency levels where the subjective nature of the judging means what was a fourth place now becomes a medal and where a bronze could soon be gold.

But for any British pair, Torvill and Dean is the benchmark.

Fear told Sky Sports: "It's a huge honour I think to be even in that sentence. It's crazy for us and especially given Lewis' start to the entire sport was watching Torvill and Dean on Dancing on Ice!

"It's amazing for you to be in that position and then for me to be skating with Lewis and just the legacy they've had in Great Britain and in ice dance. It's lasting to this day and I think that it is extremely kind to be in that sentence and it's something that we don't take lightly."

Gibson, who was a very good footballer but was inspired to skate having watched the 1984 Olympic champions, added: "The impact that they had on the sport and in British history and just getting people engaged with figure skating and ice skating back then, we really want that for the UK again and if we can make that happen that is a success in itself."

Fear and Gibson have just returned - albeit briefly - to the UK after the European Championships in Tallinn last weekend where they took bronze, their third consecutive podium finish in the last three editions.

They were a bit disappointed - they now expect and want more.

Next up is the World Championships in Boston, USA next month, but looming on the horizon are the Olympics - just 12 months away.

"Already? I can't believe it's already one year to the Games," Fear said.

"It's so exciting because four years feels so far away so I'm really happy that it is next year but also it puts the pressure on because we have big goals for the Games.

"There's a lot of improvement to be had and a lot of growth as athletes and as artists out there but also it means, let's get to work and work towards those goals. When it comes to the Olympics, it is a pinnacle of so many sports. A year to go, you're becoming ever more consistent."

What will bring Fear and Gibson closer the achievement of Torvill and Dean? It's consistency.

At the level the top half-dozen pairs operate at there is little to choose between them, except the ability to perform to the highest levels time after time.

While Torvill and Dean did that, they also chose their accompanying music well - and so do Fear and Gibson. Their USP on the ice is their high octane, risk-taking routines - don't expect to hear a repeat of Bolero, more like full-on Beyonce or Lady Gaga.