GB's Fear and Gibson fall short of European gold

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson have missed out on winning Britain's first European Figure Skating Championships gold medal for 32 years.

The duo went into the final round of the ice dance competition in second place, however timing issues on the second element of their free dance routine cost them the chance to move up to first.

However, Fear and Gibson still finished on the podium for the fourth successive Europeans, repeating their bronze medal from 2025 and adding to their silvers in 2023 and 2024.

It raises hopes that they can end Team GB's three-decade wait for a place on the Olympic figure skating podium in Milan next month.

Free dance allows the skaters full creative freedom in their routines, and Fear and Gibson took full advantage.

Dubbed the "Disco Brits" for their funky choice in music, they performed to a Scottish-themed medley in honour of Gibson's roots - tartan costumes and all.

A few early timing issues did not put them off, and a strong finish drew a standing ovation around Utilita Arena.

But it was not the flawless performance they needed to end Britain's three-decade wait for European gold.

Gold went to Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France, with Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri - continental champions in the last three years - taking silver.

Twizzle leaves Fear and Gibson in a twist

This means British skaters have still not won an event at the Europeans since Dame Jayne Torvill and Sir Christopher Dean in the ice dance in 1994.

Fear, 26, and Gibson, 31, had a great chance to end that run, after they were in second following the rhythm dance, 1.5 points behind Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron.

But after a strong start where they performed their most difficult lift perfectly, Fear slipped slightly into the synchronised twizzles, the second element of the routine.

And while they got back on track and peaked brilliantly at the conclusion as bagpipes blared around Sheffield, their looks of disappointment on the ice at the conclusion were telling.

Instead Fournier Beaudry, 33, and 31-year-old Cizeron - who only teamed up in March - seal gold.

They became a pair after Cizeron had an acrimonious split with former partner Gabriella Papadakis, who has accused him of controlling behaviour.

Meanwhile, Fabbri, 37, and 36-year-old Guignard are the oldest male and female skaters at these championships and returned to Sheffield where they competed in their first European Championship together in 2012.

This was Fabbri's 14th Euros, a new record - and he earned a sixth medal.

Earlier, fellow Brits Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez performed a smooth, spine-tingling routine that drew a standing ovation in Sheffield.

After starting well, the young duo - aged 20 and 24 respectively - only got better, with their choreographed spin and step movement towards the conclusion of the routine scoring well above their base value in the grade of execution.

It earned them a season-best 106.75 in the free dance, which put them in first place overall at the half-way point.

They finished 11th but have ensured they will be worth watching in years to come - and first, at the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Golden double for Georgia

The afternoon session saw the medals decided in the men's competition following the free skate discipline.

Georgia's Nika Egadze delivered the performance of his career, landing four quadruple jumps to run away with the gold.

The 23-year-old turned what was expected to be a tight showdown into a commanding victory as he scored 181.72 points and 273.00 overall for Georgia's first European victory in men's singles – and their second gold of the competition.

"When I came to the ice I was a little bit shaky. I started to feel a little bit nervous, but remembered the words of my coaches - I needed to relax a little bit and do it for this amazing crowd," Egadze said.

Egadze is coached by Eteri Tutberidze, who drew headlines for her berating of Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Olympics where the Russian teenager was investigated on suspicion of doping.

Tutberidze is well known in the figure skating world for her tough coaching style. She previously worked with the Russian national team, whose athletes are banned from these championships - and will compete as neutrals at Milan 2026 - because of the country's ongoing attack of Ukraine.

Egadze and Tutberidze have worked together for nine years, and he previously trained at her private rink until a competition-standard venue was built in Georgia last year.

Italy's Matteo Rizzo was second, while Russian-born Georgii Reshtenko of the Czech Republic climbed from eighth after the short program to take third.

Britain's representative, Edward Appleby, finished in 24th place.

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