European Figure Skating Championships: Britain’s Lila Fair and Louis Gibson compete for ice dancing gold

Fear and Gibson are not the only British team to qualify for the finals, with young duo Phoebe Baker and James Hernandez putting in a display that has made a name on the international stage.

Aged 20 and 24 respectively, Baker and Hernandez placed 11th with a season-best score of 71.64 with their routine, To Freedom by George Michael, full of fun and energy and exceptionally popular with the flag-waving home crowd.

The duo, who will also compete in the 2026 Olympics, said they were able to use the crowds and relatively low pressure to their advantage.

“I was the least nervous I’ve ever been,” Baker said afterward. “There was almost no pressure, and we had nothing to prove to the public.

He added, “Our coach said that we are here to have fun and that the result does not matter. It was exciting pressure.”

“We were very focused on each other, but we were aware of the noise,” Hernandez added. “You can’t ignore all the flags and all the people cheering.

“We let the muscle memory take over and when we got into the finishing position it was like we had done it.”