#FigureSkating 

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (GBR) secured their second ISU Grand Prix title in Allen, TX on Sunday when they won Skate America © ISU

Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR) captured the gold medal as competition at the ISU Grand Prix Skate America wrapped up with an exciting Free Dance event Sunday in Allen, TX (USA).

Fear/Gibson (GBR) dance off with gold

ISU European Ice Dance silver medalists Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson of Great Britain continued their rise, capturing the gold medal ahead of two-time ISU World Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) in a close competition. Spain’s Olivia Smart/Tim Dieck rose from fifth to earn their first ISU Grand Prix medal as a team.

Overnight leaders Fear/Gibson skated last and put out an energetic performance to “Halo”, “End of Time” and “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé. Their program was filled with spectacular lifts and fast-paced steps, and the ISU Grand Prix Finalists scored 122.82 points. That put them in second place in the Free Dance, but they held on to first overall with 206.38 points to claim their second ISU Grand Prix gold medal.

“We were so proud to be up there on the podium,” Fear said. “It was definitely a very heartwarming moment, especially to be surrounded by our amazing teammates."

All three medal-winning teams train together.

"It was a joy to compete alongside them this week and to train towards this together, and it makes it even more meaningful that we're all up there together.”

Gibson spoke about their choice of music.

“We really just try to follow with what we wanted to, like what's going to make us happy, what's going to excite us every day when we go to training. It's tough, day in day out, if you have to run through these programs, so if it excites you it's definitely always going to be passionate from us."

Chock/Bates put out a smooth and elegant dance to “Take Five”, completing intricate footwork and beautiful lifts. The husband-and-wife team earned 127.75 points, and while they ranked first in the Free Dance it was not enough to overtake Fear/Gibson. Chock/Bates remained in second place at 205.63 points.

  Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA) won the Free Dance segment but finished second overall at Skate America in Allen, TX © ISU

“I think that's what we love about sport — it's so unpredictable,” Chock said. “Anything can happen, and it certainly keeps us on our toes. It definitely inspires us to keep learning and adapt in different ways and overcome small adversities, which we're no strangers to and certainly not afraid of any adversity that comes our way. It's an opportunity for us to grow and get even stronger and build more mental fortitude. We are still proud of what we did here; it was our first outing of the season. We love our programs and our costumes. The only way is upwards and forward.”

Smart/Dieck went for a completely different kind of dance with their mysterious “Dune” program. The Spanish Champions, skating in their second season as a team, produced level-four lifts and twizzles and set a new personal best with 118.45 points in the Free Dance. They moved up to third with a total of 189.44 points.

Skating to the "Dune" soundtrack, Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck (ESP) placed third in Free Dance to secure a podium spot at Skate America © ISU

“It's been a long time since I stood on the podium at Grand Prix," Smart said. "It was during COVID, with my previous partner. I stood on the podium today with Tim for the first time, and this is also Tim's first time standing on a Grand Prix podium. It was a moment that we've been hoping for, and something we've been wanting to feel, and it's the reason we came back and we started skating together. Getting that moment today and holding back tears was just a step forward in our partnership and career together.”

Diana Davis/Gleb Smolkin (GEO) gave an excellent performance to “Kashmir” and the “Rain Song”, but nevertheless slipped to fourth place from third (187.05 points). ISU World Junior Champions Leah Neset/Artem Markelov (USA) celebrated a successful senior-level Grand Prix debut by moving up to fifth from eighth at 179.38 points with their “Game of Thrones” themed routine.

Fear/Gibson are headed for their second Grand Prix, Finlandia Trophy, with 15 points in the bag. Chock/Bates (13 points) will go to NHK Trophy next, while Smart/Dieck (11 points) have the sixth and final Grand Prix, Cup of China, for their second event.

For full entries, schedules & results, see the ISU Grand Prix Event Page & ISU GP Skate America Event Page & Official Skate America Website.

Check out the ISU Grand Prix Standings to find out who is on their way to qualify for the Final (data will be available after the conclusion of the first event):

Men      Women            Pair Skating      Ice Dance

What & When

The schedule of Skate America is as follows:

Friday, Oct 18: Pairs & Women’s Short Programs

Saturday, Oct 19: Rhythm Dance, Pairs Free Skating, Men’s Short Program & Women’s Free Skating

Sunday, Oct 20: Men’s Free Skating & Free Dance, Exhibition Gala  

Follow the ISU Grand Prix Series

The schedules of each ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event are available below:

• 18 - 20 Oct 2024 Skate America in Allen, TX (USA)
• 25 - 27 Oct 2024  Skate Canada International in Halifax (CAN)
• 01 - 03 Nov 2024 Grand Prix de France in Angers (FRA)
• 08 - 10 Nov 2024  NHK Trophy in Tokyo (JPN)
• 15- 17 Nov 2024 Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki (FIN)
• 22 - 24 Nov 2024 Cup of China in Chongqing (CHN)

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: 

• 05 - 08 Dec 2024 Grenoble/FRA

About ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series started in 1995 (previously known a s the ISU Champions Series) and consists of six invitational international senior events and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. The top six of the past World Championships are seeded. Competitors collect points in their events towards the qualification for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Only the top six Skaters / Couples in each discipline can qualify for the Final.