Winter Olympics 2022 - GB's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson on Olympic experience and tweet from KISS

BySam Webb

Updated 17/02/2022 at 01:55 GMT

You are guaranteed to win supporters from both sides of the Atlantic when you set an Olympic dance skating routine to a KISS medley and another to an Elton John classic. Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson captivated judges and viewers alike with their top-10 performances in Beijing and, despite not taking home medals, they both say they have had a Games to remember.

Not everyone can return home from an Olympic Games saying they were tweeted by KISS.

British ice dance duo Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson dazzled in Beijing with a routine performed to a medley of KISS songs (‘I Was Made for Loving You,’ ‘Forever’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’) and were commended by the American rock legends themselves.

“How cool is this?!” the group posted.

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The judges in Beijing were of a similar view and scored Fear and Gibson highly enough to send them through the next round, where they ultimately secured a top-10 finish for GB, dancing to the iconic Lion King soundtrack.

The pair may not be taking home medals, but they have their sights set firmly on Milan 2026 and have thoroughly enjoyed the “steppingstone” experience of the Beijing Games.

“I just feel very fulfilled coming out of this experience,” said Fear.

“From the moment we landed to today, just enjoying the ride of having finished our free dance, it’s just been so joyful.

“We’ve been very present, taking it all in and loving it.”

Gibson said being recognised by KISS, a group they both admire, was a personal highlight.

“Very, very cool. It’s something that I thought wouldn’t happen.

“I think it’s really great just to know you’re being watched but also for us because we appreciate their music so much, we chose to use it for a reason. I think it’s so exciting that they’ve seen it.”

Ice dancers Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain perform their free dance

Image credit: Getty Images

Captivating British viewers with their technical performance to Elton John’s Circle of Life, 22-year-old Fear and 27-year-old Gibson gained plenty of supporters back home.

“The support has been overwhelming, it’s more than I ever imagined especially from the nation, I really feel their support,” said Fear.

“It means the world; we’re so honoured to represent Great Britain. The fact that our performance has resonated is just everything we could ask for.”

Gibson said he has thrived off the GB team-spirit out in China.

“Getting to see how everyone prepares for competition and also that camaraderie and support that you feel when it’s your time to go is really great.

“A super special moment from Team GB yesterday was between our practice and event we had to stay at the rink because there was a short time and they set us up with little beds and lots of food and really made it so special.

“I just felt great in that moment. For preparation, it was fantastic.”

Fear agreed, adding: “It set us up for the skate that we had and we had the Union Jack taped to the wall and I just felt so grateful for that support. The community withing Team GB here at the Olympics has just been unbelievable.

“This Olympic Games has been a steppingstone for us, our sights are set on Milan (2026). In ice dance, experience is so valuable, and mastery comes with time.

“We’ve been together for six seasons and we’re really grateful to have four more years at least to just grow as much as we can in our sport.”

Will we see the British skaters on the podium in Milan?

They have certainly formed a strong bond since pairing up and they are confident their skating will only improve with time.

“To have Lilah here in particular is just amazing because we spend so much time together and we know how hard it is to get to where we’ve gotten to and I think to both enjoy this moment together is really incredible,” said Gibson.

Fear added, “We are taking our week off here in Beijing, which is really exciting. We wanted to stay in this wonderful environment for as long as possible and then attend the closing ceremonies.

“Then we will be getting back to training in Montreal. We have the World Championships at the end of March and we’re really excited about where these programmes can continue to grow to.

“So we’re just going to get back to work and we’re really excited for that goal.”

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Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+.

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