‘We want this’: Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson embrace pressure as they aim for Olympic gold

British ice dancers Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson say they are embracing the pressure and expectations of a nation as they bid to end a three-decade wait for Olympic gold.

The pair are among the major contenders for a medal at the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina next month, and are fresh from a fourth podium finish in as many years at the annual European Championships.

The last time GB won an Olympic figure skating medal was when ice dance legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean claimed bronze in Lillehammer 1994, 10 years on from their famous gold in Sarajevo.

Speaking on Monday at a Team GB kitting out day in Sheffield, where the athletes receive their official Olympic kit, Fear and Gibson are preparing for a very different experience to their first Games, Beijing 2022.

British-Canadian Fear says: “First and foremost we really want to enjoy ourselves because that always helps us perform our best. Our first Games wasn't quite the full Olympic experience, shared with family and friends, and that's something that we're really ready to embrace.”

The pair were the top-ranked skaters going into this season and are in a strong position heading to Milan: European bronze medallists this weekend, world medallists for the first time last year, and bronze medallists at the Grand Prix Final – contested by the top six teams in the world – in December.

An Olympic medal is within their grasp but the competition will be fierce; Fear admits the judging panel are looking for “perfection”. But the pair are choosing to relish the pressure on them rather than shy away from it.

Gibson says: “I think the pressure that we would add to ourselves would be the same, and I'm glad that people are [talking about them as medal contenders] because it's something that we've worked our entire career for and we want for ourselves as well. So that conversation just solidifies how we feel.”

Fear adds: “We're like, actually, no, we want this. It's so much love and support, let's embrace it and use it to lift us up.”

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That support was on display in Sheffield this weekend as it played host to their last major competition before the Olympic Games, the European Championships. The last time the city hosted the continental championships was in 2012, when Fear - now 26 - was a flower girl.

Fear says: “It was such a special week – from the moment that we arrived back in the UK we could see ourselves on lampposts and banners, and it was just this really celebratory occasion, and we felt so much pride to represent Great Britain in Great Britain.

“It's something that I think is a once in a career opportunity on this scale. We just wanted to do performances that showed our gratitude to have this opportunity and do ourselves proud.”

While their bronze medal underlined their consistency and their ability to challenge at the very top of the sport, it wasn’t quite the colour they were after.

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They dropped from provisional second after the rhythm dance thanks to a minor error early in their free dance, which Fear says put them “not in the position we hoped for”. But they picked themselves up and carried on as if it hadn’t happened: “We really soaked in the experience and enjoyed it, no matter what.”

Gibson says: “That's why we're so thankful that we train as hard as we do, so the muscle memory takes over until you feel like you can get the mind back in play and on top of where you're at. The crowds helped so much, the encouragement as we were going around was so special and needed in that moment.”

Comparisons to the legendary Torvill and Dean have only increased as they have climbed the world rankings and made themselves consistent medal contenders. In fact, when they’re asked whether they can follow in their footsteps Fear jokes, “Remind us of who you’re talking about?!”

But she says, “That would be such an honour. Whenever we are in the same sentence as them we pinch ourselves, because they're the reason that Lewis is even sitting here as an ice skater after watching Dancing on Ice. They've been such trailblazers in the sport and have such a legacy, and that's something that we really hope for too.”