Better Athletes Sparkle at Milano Cortina!
Team GB’s winter athletes took to the world stage at the Olympic Winter Games which concluded last week in Milano Cortina.
Among them were 12 past and present GLL Sport Foundation supported athletes who delivered performances to be proud of.
The Games began with a powerful moment of representation. National Ambassador Lilah Fear (Kensington & Chelsea) and alumni athlete Brad Hall (Bath & North East Somerset) carried the Union flag at the Opening Ceremony, leading Team GB into the arenas of Milan and Cortina.
Figure Skating: Depth, Progress and Historic Results
Team GB’s figure skaters opened their campaign in the Team Event, using it as both a competitive opportunity and valuable preparation ahead of their individual events.
Great Britain’s qualification total was built across four strong performances. National Ambassadors Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson (Kensington & Chelsea) delivered a season’s best 86.85 in the Rhythm Dance a standout start for Team GB.
Alumni Kristen Spours (Swindon) scored 48.28 in the Women’s Short Program, gaining crucial Olympic experience and contributing valuable points. Contributions also came from the Pairs Short Program and Men’s Short Program, demonstrating the depth across disciplines.
Finishing ninth overall, Team GB’s result was a significant achievement. Simply qualifying for the Team Event and delivering competitive performances across all four disciplines underlined the growing strength of British figure skating.
On Day 3, alumni athlete James Hernandez (Chiltern) and his partner produced an assured Olympic debut in the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance, posting a season’s best 72.46 to finish 16th overall and comfortably qualify for the Free Dance.
Meanwhile, skating to a Spice Girls medley, Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson scored 85.47 to sit fourth heading into the Free Dance event.
Team GB made history by having two ice dance teams compete in the full Olympic event, Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson finished seventh overall on 204.32 - the best Team GB Olympic ice dance result in over 30 years. James Hernandez and his partner closed their Olympic debut 17th overall on 179.45, including a season’s best 106.99 in the Free Dance.
GSF Alumni Kristen Spours’ first Olympic season was defined by resilience and perspective. In the Women’s Short Program, she finished 29th with 45.54, bringing her singles campaign to a close after a year that tested her both on and off the ice. Competing on the sport’s biggest stage marked a powerful milestone in her journey.
Sliding Sports Success
Team GB’s skeleton athletes once again demonstrated their world-class pedigree, Alumni Marcus Wyatt (Bath & North East Somerset) finished ninth overall in the men’s event. In the women’s competition, Alumni Tabby Stoecker (Bath & North East Somerset) finished just over a second outside the medals, while Alumni Amelia Coltman (Bath & North East Somerset) placed ninth. Tabitha returned for the Mixed Team Skeleton event, helping secure a gold medal for Team GB. Marcus Wyatt and his partner narrowly missed the podium in the mixed event, finishing fourth after a series of impressive runs.
In the Bobsleigh competition, Top Up Athlete Adele Nicoll (Cardiff) made history in the women’s monobob competition, becoming Team GB’s first-ever Olympic monobob athlete. She finished 18th overall with a combined time of 4:01.86.
With little time to rest, Adele returned to compete in the two-woman bobsleigh alongside brakewoman and alumni Ashleigh Nelson (Waltham Forest). After a challenging start that saw them sit 21st, the pair bounced back to finish 15th following a strong second day of racing. Top Up Athlete Kya Placide (Cardiff) attended as a travelling reserve, gaining invaluable Olympic experience within the squad environment.
In the men’s bobsleigh, Alumni Brad Hall (Bath & North East Somerset) competed in the two-man event, finishing 12th overall. Brad then joined forces with fellow alumni Greg Cackett (Reigate & Banstead) in the four-man event, where Team GB secured a seventh-place finish to cap off their campaign.
Across figure skating, skeleton and bobsleigh, GLL Sport Foundation supported athletes demonstrated resilience, excellence and progression on the world’s biggest winter sporting stage. From flagbearers and history-making performances to season’s best scores and medal-winning contributions, GLL Sport Foundation is immensely proud of every past and present athlete who represented Team GB!