'A little alternative'- skating star Lilah Fear on bringing Disney and classic rock to the Beijing Olympics
BySportsbeat
Updated 26/01/2022 at 18:22 GMT
Lilah Fear and skating partner Lewis Gibson will make their Olympic bow in Beijing, and hope to draw fans in with entertaining routines. "I think there's always the awareness that people are watching and that we've had a lot of experience with the heightened emphasis of the cameras when there were no spectators at the World Championships."
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson will be making their Olympic debut
Image credit: Getty Images
Lilah Fear wants to entertain fans all over the world when she and partner Lewis Gibson step onto the Beijing ice at next month's Winter Olympic Games.
Fear, 22, and Gibson, 27, were among the first Team GB athletes to seal a spot on the British plane - with the duo set to compete in the ice dance competition when the showpiece kicks off in under ten days' time.
American-born Fear, who grew up in London and is a member of the Alexandra Palace London Skating Club, has enjoyed a previous taste of the Olympics - an experience that fuelled her desire to one day head there as a competitor.
Fear said: "We actually went to PyeongChang as part of Team GB's Ambition Programme.
"That was a really valuable experience for us. We got to feel that tangible energy in the arena and it made us so excited and so hungry to qualify one day ourselves and work as hard as we possibly could.
"When we got selected, I got very emotional because it's a moment that I dreamed of, and for it to have actually happened, I could't quite believe it.
"I was just so proud of our team and so, so grateful. Lewis and I had a huge hug and just said to each other: 'this is actually happening.'"
She added: "I think there's always the awareness that people are watching and that we've had a lot of experience with the heightened emphasis of the cameras when there were no spectators at the World Championships.
"We know that there are people watching and we want to translate that into love and support to skating fans all over the world. Once we're performing I'd say it's the two of us and we're really connected and present and I hope that radiates out in our performance."
In October last year, UK Sport announced a new investment stream for winter sports not currently in receipt of World Class Programme funding in order to lift their preparations for, and performances at, the Olympic Winter Games.
And Fear has taken full advantage of that support as her and Gibson crank up preparation for competing in the Chinese capital.
Fear wants the pair to remain as aesthetically pleasing as ever when they showcase their innovative routine - taking to the ice to the tune of one of the world's favourite musicals.
"Our rhythm dance is a Kiss medley, so a little alternative for ice dance," added Fear.
"We're doing Lion King for the free dance so it's very different, but really fun to explore those different characters and storylines."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement