Team GB has achieved their first gold medal at the Winter Olympics, with Matt Weston securing victory in the men’s skeleton event. Weston, aged 28, was a top contender for Team GB in Milano Cortina and showed strong performance from the start, leading after the initial two heats.
His first two runs clocked in at 56.21 and 55.88, accumulating to an overall time of 1:52.09 going into the second day. He continued his impressive run with a time of 55.63 in the third heat. Weston’s final run set a new track record at 55.61, leading to an emotional celebration with his teammate Marcus Wyatt and Team GB coaches.
This win marks a significant comeback for Weston, who had finished 15th in the previous Winter Olympics. Wyatt, on the other hand, improved in the second day but settled for seventh place with a total time of 3:45.77.
In response to his victory, Weston expressed, “It means everything. It means a hell of a lot to me personally, I have worked so hard for this. Everyone back at home, my fiancee, my family, my friends, everyone that has sacrificed for me to be here. I have missed funerals, birthdays, everything for this moment and it feels amazing.”
Team GB finally made it to the medal standings at the Winter Olympics with Weston’s triumph. Meanwhile, German athletes Axel Jungk and Christopher Grotheer claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Commenting on Weston’s performance, Lizzie Yarnold noted, “Matt Weston is traveling so fast and making decisions in tenths of a second, he doesn’t have any time to think ahead. He must be physically exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed. These athletes work three sessions a day, looking at analysis, looking at tenths of a second. It’s paid off.”
Eve Muirhead, Team GB’s chef de mission, praised Weston, saying, “I’m absolutely over the moon for him, what a great guy, athlete, first medal of the Olympics, absolutely buzzing for him. The pressure he was under and he was cool as a cucumber. To come out and deliver those runs, I hate watching, that was unreal. It shows what an athlete he is, what a legend, he’s shown what he’s made of. He’s had great support.”