In being named to carry the flag at the opening ceremony of Milano Cortina 2026 alongside bobsledder Brad Hall, Fear will be the first figure skater given the honour since Christopher Dean 42 years ago.
Shortly after his feature appearance at the grand opening in 1984, Dean joined forces with Jayne Torvill to put on a performance to the notes of Bolero that had 24 million people tuning in.
Recent European bronze medallists, Fear and Gibson are as well-placed as anyone in the years since to emulate Torvill and Dean, and the 26-year-old is welcoming every time comparisons with the legendary duo are made.
Fear said: “I learned the statistic today and there is a lot where they come up in conversation around us, which is such a ‘pinch me’ moment. For that to be another one is so cool. I’ll take all the good energy for our Games in Milan.”
Currently based in Montreal and having born in Connecticut, Fear’s North American accent might cause a double take or two for British fans.
However, it was very much on these shores that her Olympic dreams began, even if she admits that the idea of carrying the flag was not one that had previously crossed her mind.
She recalled: “It exceeds my wildest dreams. I dreamed of going to the Olympics but the flagbearer part of it was never on my radar. I didn’t think it was possible.
“I think back to the first Team GB jacket I ever got and it probably wasn’t even official, I just put the flag on a jacket.
“I just felt so proud when I was a young girl skating at Queens Ice Bowl in London and wearing it to school.
“They would say ‘that’s not the uniform, please take it off’ but I felt so proud to be Team GB and all those different jackets that I acquired over the years.”
Friday is set to be a packed day for Fear following her nomination for flag bearing duties by chef de mission Eve Muirhead, who fulfilled the role herself four years ago in Beijing before going onto win curling gold.
An early alarm call will see Fear and Gibson on the ice at 6am for practice before officially getting their Olympic campaign underway as part of the team event at 10am local time.
She and Gibson will then watch their teammates in action before she allows herself an hour to get ready for the glitz and glamour of the ceremony itself.
The main concern for her surrounds the physical challenge of carrying the flag, readily admitting that upper body strength is not one of her superpowers.
She added: “I don’t know if we get to practise. I’m strong at what I do on the ice but I’m not strong at carrying large things, I’m five foot two, so I’m not sure what is going to happen. I might have to visualise and hope for the best.
“Lewis is so proud of me. It’s a little strange that it’s just me holding it but I represent both of us.
“I wouldn’t be here without Lewis, we are Lilah and Lewis. It’s really beautiful that I am holding a flag representing skating here in Milan. It’s not just me, it’s something bigger than us. It also connects us to all the flagbearers and athletes at previous Olympic Games and all of those dreaming of being at future Olympic Games.”
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