PRAGUE, March 29 (Reuters) - The International Skating Union said the two‑point deduction that denied ice dancers Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson a world championships bronze medal cannot be appealed, after British Ice Skating said it was seeking to overturn the decision.
Fear and Gibson, third after the rhythm dance, finished fourth in the event in Prague on Saturday after they were penalised for an "illegal element".
The British federation said the points deduction was incorrect and that they are formally challenging the decision. The federation are also asking for a "full and independent review of the officiating process."
The ISU told Reuters in a statement on Sunday that the deduction by the technical panel was for an illegal movement on their first element, a lift.
"As a field of play decision, the deduction is final and not subject to appeal," the statement said.
"A well-established process is in place for the review and analysis of scoring from all competitions with fairness to the skaters on the ice of paramount importance."
Fear and Gibson, bronze medallists at the 2025 world championships, finished 0.22 points behind third-placed Americans Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik. Olympic champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron won gold.
"We have full confidence that the ISU will investigate this matter fully, and that any findings will lead to meaningful action to ensure that no athlete, regardless of their nation or status, is let down in this way again," BIS president Pam Aguss said in a statement earlier on Sunday.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Susan Fenton and Pritha Sarkar)
