Fear & Gibson crowned Skate Canada champions to open Grand Prix season

Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson are Skate Canada International champions. The British pair led the ice dance from start to finish in Kelowna, winning gold with a season's best total of 201.17 to open their 2026/27 ISU Grand Prix campaign in style.

It is the pair's first Skate Canada title, at the fifth time of asking, after bronze in 2019 and silver in both 2022 and 2023. It came at Prospera Place, the same rink where they won their first ever Grand Prix medal seven years ago, and it marks a winning start to the new Olympic cycle for Great Britain's most decorated ice dance team.

Leading from the front

Skating last in Saturday's rhythm dance, Lilah and Lewis set the tone with their fiery new flamenco routine to the Gipsy Kings. They scored a season's best 81.37, including 45.37 for their elements and component marks above nine for both composition and presentation, to take a lead of almost three and a half points into the free dance.

They backed it up on Sunday with a season's best free dance of 119.80 to seal gold on 201.17. That is almost 11 points higher than the 190.20 they scored at the Bolero Cup in Sheffield in September, a clear sign of how quickly the new programmes are coming together.

Back where it started

Returning to Kelowna clearly meant a lot to the pair. Speaking to Golden Skate after the free dance, Lilah described that first Grand Prix medal in 2019 as a turning point in their career.

“That was just a game changer for us, where we really believed what was possible in our career. So it's really sweet to be here, and with gold.”

Lewis added that it was their second time on the podium in Kelowna, which made the win "a little extra sweet". Lilah also reflected on how far the partnership has come, saying the pair rarely stop to count their achievements, but are often surprised and proud when they look back at them.

A showgirl and an emcee

This season's free dance is something the pair have wanted to do for a long time. Set to Shirley Bassey's "Get The Party Started" and music from Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the jazz-inspired programme casts Lilah as a showgirl and Lewis as an emcee. It includes nods to classic skating moves of the past, among them a slide in which only Lilah's fingertips touch the ice, a moment she picked out as a personal favourite.

Lewis credited the work done over the summer in Montreal, where the pair train under Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer. He said pre-season had given them the chance to build the strength of their programmes and elements, so they could find an extra layer of performance under pressure.

“I think we delivered what we've been doing in training, and I think that's very exciting moving forward.”

Fear & Gibson sititng second in the Grand Prix standings

With two of the six Grand Prix events now complete, Lilah and Lewis sit second in the ice dance standings, behind only Olympic champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron of France, who won the opening event in Angers. Both teams have maximum points from their first assignment.

Skaters earn points for their placings at each of their two events, and the top six teams across the series qualify for the ISU Grand Prix Final in Chongqing, China, from 10th to 13th December. Lilah and Lewis are chasing a third consecutive Grand Prix Final medal, after bronze in both 2024 and 2025.

Straight to China

There is no time to rest. Lilah and Lewis head straight to Shenzhen for their second Grand Prix assignment, the Cup of China, from 6 to 8 November, where a strong result would put them firmly in the running for a place in Chongqing.

Lilah said the pair want to carry the energy of Kelowna with them: "We really want to ride the momentum of this competition."

Follow British Ice Skating on social media for updates from Shenzhen.