Weston and Stoecker Secure Great Britain’s Second Olympic Gold of the Day

In a historic achievement, Team GB has made Olympic history by securing two gold medals in a single day at the Winter Games for the very first time. Matt Weston and Tabitha Stoecker triumphed in the mixed team skeleton event, adding to the earlier victory of Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale in the snowboard cross mixed team competition on Sunday.

Weston delivered an exceptional performance, further cementing his legacy in Cortina as the first British athlete to achieve two gold medals at a Winter Olympics, following his individual gold just two days prior. Stoecker, at 25 years old, set the stage with her run, clocking in at 1:00.77, just 0.18 seconds behind the leading Germans, leaving the British duo, who were the top seeds, to run last.

However, the 28-year-old Weston, who earned Team GB’s inaugural medal at these Games, demonstrated his prowess as the world’s premier skeleton racer by executing an outstanding run in 58.59 seconds, culminating in a total time of 1:59:36. This marks a milestone for Great Britain, achieving three golds at a single Winter Olympics for the first time.

“The individual event is remarkable, but to accomplish this as a team in a sport that is typically individual is incredible,” Weston expressed. “Having my teammate by my side as Olympic champions, and for me, becoming a two-time champion is surreal. I can’t wait for the celebrations!”

Another British duo, Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit, narrowly missed out on a medal by a mere 0.01 seconds, as they faced tough competition from German teams Christopher Grotheer and Jacqueline Pfeifer, who secured silver, and Axel Jungk and Susanne Kreher, who took bronze. The mixed event, making its debut in Milan-Cortina, features athletes racing down the track in quick succession, making reaction time crucial; five red lights signal when they must start.

Jumping the gun can lead to severe penalties or disqualification, which resulted in many athletes opting for cautious starts. Janine Flock, who won gold in the women’s event on Saturday, jeopardized the Austrian team’s chances by triggering a one-second penalty due to an early reaction, thus opening the podium for both British teams.

Despite this, the German teams proved to be formidable, and the only chance for Wyatt and Tarbit to medal hinged on Weston and Stoecker not finishing atop the leaderboard. Weston, a two-time world champion, entered these Games with the singular goal of gold, and he now stands as the most decorated British athlete in Winter Olympic history.

After a disappointing 15th place finish in Beijing four years prior, Weston’s ascent in the sport has been remarkable, with his two Olympic gold medals complementing the three consecutive Crystal Globes he secured beginning in 2024. Former bobsledder John Jackson, who won bronze at the 2014 Olympics, stated: “Weston has been the best on this track. We are witnessing history unfold before us. He consistently raises the standard, and it was thrilling to watch him deliver, especially when Tabby didn’t have her best run to provide him a chance. Weston completely dominated the competition.”

As the competition on Sunday intensified, culminating in a nail-biting finish, Weston once again showcased his skills. Having shattered the track record in all four of his individual runs, he executed another flawless performance, transforming Sunday into a remarkable day for Team GB.

“Fortunately, I felt I knew exactly what I needed to do,” Weston recounted. “It’s all a bit surreal; I drew confidence from the individual event and reminded myself to stay focused and get the job done.”

It took Team GB a week of competition in Italy to finally secure their first medal following several fourth-place finishes and near misses among other hopefuls. However, achieving two golds in one day—especially with Bankes and Nightingale’s victory being the first on snow—significantly enhances the outlook for the team.

While the earlier win in Livigno was unexpected, the triumph of Weston and Stoecker in Cortina signifies a return to form for Team GB on the skeleton track. The British team has a rich legacy of Olympic success in skeleton, but their underwhelming performance in 2022, where they failed to medal for the first time since the sport’s return to the Olympics in 2002, now appears to be an outlier.

Weston was heavily favored coming into the men’s event on Friday, where he clinched gold with a margin of 0.88 seconds—the second-largest in skeleton history. Although the British women—Stoecker, Tarbit, and Amelia Coltman—did not claim any medals, all finished within the top ten at their Olympic debut. Wyatt, who placed ninth in the men’s event, remarked, “Matt and I were there in Beijing [2022], and it’s gratifying to come back and show that was just a blip, not a trend. These medals will significantly impact the future of this program over the next four, eight, or even twelve years; we expect more medals and aim to uphold the rich history of British skeleton.”