Lewis Gibson is back on the winner’s podium!

The dreamy ice dancer and his partner Lilah Fear kicked off the Grand Prix season in style this past weekend, winning gold at Skate America. The British duo narrowly edged American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates in Allen, Texas.

The victory continues Gibson’s winning streak since he publicly came out as gay before the 2022 Winter Olympics. He and Fear are the the first non-Americans to win the Skate America ice dance title since 2008.

“It definitely feels great to feel like we’re on a good momentum already at the beginning of the season like this,” Gibson told NBC Sports. “Fourth twice (at worlds), it’s hard, and it’s tough at the top, but I feel like we’ve made big improvements this summer.”

Last season, Gibson and Fear racked up wins to our favorite ’80s dance hits, skating along to Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and “Here Comes the Rain Again.”

The 2024 European silver medalists also gave an inspiring performance to the Rocky soundtrack at the Grand Prix championship in Japan.

Over the weekend, Gibson and Fear performed to some of Beyonce‘s iconic hits, including “Halo,” ‘End of Time” and “Crazy in Love.”

“[‘Halo’] means a lot in terms of the message. We want to just really let out who we truly are this season, and let our inner-light shine,” Fear said in an interview. “That’s what the message means for us. Strip away the fear of judgment, the fear of criticism, whatever it is you build up over time by being human, and just let ourselves express fully who we are. That feels raw and vulnerable, but it’s a challenge we were willing to accept.”

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Gibson and Fear made their Olympics debut at the 2022 Beijing Games, shortly after Gibson spoke publicly about being gay for the first time. He expressed trepidation that his identity would negatively impact his score.

“I just think, could this be a detriment to my skating?” he asked. “And I thought, I can’t live never sharing who I am and sharing who I love.”

But as it turns out, those fears were for naught. Gibson and Fear finished 10th in rhythm dance and ninth in free dance.

They went on to excel in the 2022-23 season, earning silver at the European Championships. The out gay Scottish dancer and his partner produced the best finish for a British team since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won gold in 1994. 

Performing to a medley of Lady Gaga hits, Gibson and Fear’s high-tempo routine wow’d the crowd and judges.

Following their spectacular silver medal triumph, Gibson and Fear finished a career-best fourth at the World Championships in Japan.

This past January, Gibson and Fear captured their second straight silver finish at the European Championships. They finished fourth at the World Championships for the second consecutive year as well.

With the second Grand Prix of the season taking place Friday in Halifax, Canada, Gibson and Fear are picking up where they left off. The six-time British champion says he’s living his dream.

“Every time I see this clip, it stirs up many emotions within me. The work it took to get here, the joy of sharing these moments with the world, and the power of visibility,” he reflected on Instagram. “Seeing both the 🇬🇧 and 🏳️‍🌈 flags raised in support—it’s the kind of thing that would have hit differently for young Lewis watching this on TV. Moments like these remind me why I keep pushing forward.”

While medals are great, Gibson also knows gay visibility is about more than athletic success. It’s about living an open and authentic life as well.

On that note, Gibson often posts pictures of him and his adorable bf, Josh. It’s clear he’s not worried about the judges penalizing him now!

Gibson celebrated his 30th birthday this past spring in the Canary Islands, with speedos and sun!

One of 10 out figure skaters at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Gibson is part of a trailblazing group of athletes. Another one of those 10 athletes, Kevin Aymoz of France, won silver at Skate America in an epic comeback.

With his success on and off the ice, Gibson is showing younger versions of himself it’s possible to be both gay and great.

In fact, it’s kind of a requirement!

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