CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Matt Weston has once again solidified his status as the premier skeleton racer in the world by clinching the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The 28-year-old Briton, who has been on an impressive trajectory for the past four years, showcased his remarkable talent on a chilly Friday night, completing four runs in a total time of 3 minutes, 43.33 seconds. Remarkably, he set track records in all of his heats, establishing a commanding lead that made his final run a celebratory victory lap.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Weston shed tears of joy as he embraced his coach, Latvian legend Martins Dukurs, a former Olympic champion himself. “I expect every time I stand at the top of the start line, I’m going there for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to win,” Weston stated, reflecting on his triumphant performance.
In the midst of this celebration, there was a poignant moment for Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the competition shortly before it began. He had donned a helmet honoring over 20 coaches and athletes from Ukraine who lost their lives due to the ongoing conflict since Russia’s invasion four years ago. Despite appealing the decision, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the ruling, depriving him of the opportunity to potentially vie for a medal.
Germany’s Axel Jungk and Christopher Grotheer secured silver and bronze, respectively, marking Jungk’s second Olympic medal after previously finishing as silver medalist in 2022, with a time of 3:44.21. Grotheer, who clinched gold in 2018, followed closely behind in 3:44.40. For Team USA, Austin Florian and Dan Barefoot placed 12th and 20th, with Florian set to compete in the mixed skeleton event on Sunday alongside reigning world champion Mystique Ro.
Weston’s remarkable journey follows a finish in 15th place at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, during which he has reigned supreme in the sport since. In 34 races across World Cup and championship levels since then, he has earned medals in 28 events and has a striking win rate of 54%.
His achievements are not just personal triumphs; they position him among the elite in British Olympic history as he becomes the third athlete from the country to claim skeleton gold, following Amy Williams in 2010 and Lizzy Yarnold, who won consecutively in 2014 and 2018.
With Weston’s continued success, there is a bright future for British skeleton racing, inspiring the next generation of athletes who aspire to achieve greatness on the world stage.