European Figure Skating Championships: GB’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson in contention for ice dance gold

French ice dancers Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron had arrived at Utilita Arena as the team to beat and proved it with a flawless showing for a score of 86.93.

The duo only teamed up in March but have had a dazzling debut on the Grand Prix circuit and brought that form to the continental stage with a performance to a remix of Vogue by Madonna.

Their routine had less speed and abandon than many of their opponents, but it was clean and precise, bringing the Yorkshire crowd to their feet.

It was a battle of French elegance versus British flair and bodes well for a fascinating battle in Milan.

And for Olympic ice dancing champion Cizeron, it was a welcome break from off-ice issues – earlier this week he accused former partner Gabriella Papadakis of spreading false information about him in a “smear campaign”.

Fear and Gibson were the penultimate team to perform of the 28 pairs in the rhythm dance section, with the top 20 qualifying for the free dance – where the medal places are decided – on Saturday evening.

While rhythm dance had a specific theme set by the International Skating Union for direct comparison, free dance allows the skaters full creative freedom in their routines.

There, Fear and Gibson are planning a Scottish-themed medley in honour of his roots – tartan costumes and all.

Friday evening saw the conclusion of the women’s competition, with British champion Kristen Spours finishing 23rd after the free skate.

Estonia’s Niina Petrokina retained her European title with a stunning performance, with Loena Hendrickx of Belgium earning silver and Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann claiming the bronze.