Matt Weston woke up on Saturday morning and immediately checked his bedside drawer in the athletes’ village. After his stunning victory on Friday evening, he needed confirmation that it was real. The 28-year-old skeleton champion confirmed the gold medal remained safe inside a sock, as he awaits the official presentation box.
Protecting the Prize
“Still there, not a dream,” Weston shared. “It’s been living inside a sock for the last couple of hours because I haven’t got the boxes yet from the medal ceremony. I want to keep it as fresh as possible. I’m terrified of it falling off the end of the ribbon, like I’ve seen happen to some people, and I’m cradling it half the time like my little baby.”
His joy stems from a dominant performance in Cortina, where he set four track records across four descents. Weston celebrated modestly with a Margherita pizza just after midnight, skipping alcohol entirely. This triumph marks Team GB’s first gold at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Overcoming Challenges
Weston took up skeleton in 2017 after excelling in taekwondo, where his height, speed, and power caught scouts’ attention. Despite finishing 15th at the 2022 Beijing Games, he persisted. A key factor was hiring coach Martins Dukurs, the Latvian with six world titles, widely considered the greatest slider ever.
He battled a 12cm quadriceps tear early in the season and raced without a new helmet design, yet triumphed. Advanced training includes a 140-meter push-track in Bath, aerodynamic testing in a Manchester wind tunnel, and a University of Southampton-developed flight simulator mimicking global tracks.
“We try to maximize everything we can do off track,” Weston explained. “Obviously, we’ve got some stuff there, but I think a lot of it’s secret, so I don’t want to go into detail. It’s definitely helped me get to this position now.”
Investment Pays Off
UK Sport invested £5.7 million in skeleton over the current Olympic cycle, fueling Britain’s status as the most successful nation in the sport’s Olympic history with 10 medals, including wins by Lizzy Yarnold and Amy Williams.
Eyes on Double Gold
Weston competes in the mixed team event on Sunday, paired potentially with Tabitha Stoecker, Freya Tarbit, or Amelia Coltman. Strong British women’s performances boost hopes for another medal by Monday, making him the first Team GB winter athlete to win two golds at one Games.
“I did one team race right in the last World Cup event of the year, and I think we’ve got a silver medal,” he said. “We’re in a good position. I haven’t forgotten how to do it.”
