The reigning World No.1 in men’s Winter Olympic skeleton heads into the 2025–26 season as the gold-medal favorite for the Winter Olympic Milano Cortina 2026 games. While Weston has earned that position with a string of dominant World Cup results and a world championship title, he admits the weight of expectations is greater than ever.
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I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t pressure, Weston said during a recent interview. When you’re the one everyone’s chasing, it changes everything—your mindset, your training, your responsibilities. But I’m trying to embrace it. Pressure is a privilege.
The 26-year-old British slider enters the Olympic year as the face of Team GB’s Winter Olympic skeleton program—one that has a storied Olympic legacy, especially among female competitors. But with legends like Lizzy Yarnold and Amy Williams retired, and with Weston’s rise to global prominence, the torch has now been passed to him.
The Long Road to the Top: Weston’s Unconventional Winter Olympic Skeleton Journey
Weston’s ascent has been anything but overnight. Born and raised in Surrey, he didn’t even consider Winter Olympic skeleton until a UK Sport talent identification program flagged him as a promising prospect in his early twenties. A former taekwondo black belt, Weston possessed the speed and explosiveness necessary for the fast-twitch demands of skeleton starts. What followed was a rapid—and remarkable—adaptation to one of the most technically demanding and dangerous sports in the world.
After a few seasons of learning curves, crashes, and hard-fought progress, Weston broke through in 2022 with a World Cup win in Igls, Austria. By 2024, he had claimed the overall World Cup title, a world championship in St. Moritz, and the top spot in the international rankings. He now stands as the man to beat heading into Winter Olympic Milano Cortina 2026.
Mastery, Momentum, and the Road to Cortina
People don’t realize how long it takes to master the nuances of this sport, Weston said. Winter Olympic Skeleton isn’t just about going fast. It’s about feeling the ice, understanding every turn, and making decisions in fractions of a second. That’s where races are won or lost. You Can Read That race in Altenberg was a turning point, Weston said. It proved I can beat the best on one of the most demanding tracks in the world.
It gave me belief that I belong on the Olympic stage. His consistency is what stands out. Unlike some of his more erratic rivals, Weston rarely crashes, rarely falters, and rarely loses composure under pressure. That cool-headedness will be vital in Winter Olympic Milano Cortina 2026, where the Olympic track—still under final testing—has been described as fast, technical, and unforgiving. You Can Read Team USA’s Path to Success in Olympic Bobsleigh Skeleton and Luge at Winter Olympic Milano Cortina 2026
The Olympic Dream—and the British Legacy
Great Britain’s surprising dominance in Winter Olympic skeleton began with Williams’ gold in Vancouver 2010 and continued through Yarnold’s back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2018. While Weston has big shoes to fill, he’s confident in his ability to carry the legacy forward—this time from the men’s side.
I grew up watching those incredible runs and thinking, ‘Wow, this is what Olympic greatness looks like,Weston said. Now it’s my turn to try and add my own chapter to that history. Weston competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic but failed to crack the top five. Since then, he has transformed his approach, working closely with sports psychologists, refining his equipment setup, and improving his consistency across different tracks. The result? A world-class athlete now peaking at exactly the right time.
The Milano Cortina Challenge
The Winter Olympic skeleton track in Cortina d’Ampezzo has already generated buzz as one of the fastest and most technically demanding in Olympic history. Weston has had the chance to test the course during pre-Olympic events and came away impressed—and excited.
It’s a monster of a track, Weston said with a grin. Fast, unforgiving, but if you nail it, there’s no better feeling. I’m already visualizing that final run. His coach, former Olympic medalist Martins Dukurs, believes Weston has the skillset and mindset to succeed in Cortina. Matt’s attention to detail is elite, Dukurs said. He’s obsessive in the best way. Every line, every corner—he studies it. He lives for it.
Managing Pressure, Mentoring Others
As the pressure builds, Weston has leaned into mindfulness and mental conditioning as much as physical training. You can have the best sled, the fastest starts—but if your head’s not right, it won’t matter,” he said. Mental strength is the edge at this level.
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He’s also taken on a leadership role within the British team, mentoring younger athletes and helping promote skeleton at home. The sport gave me so much. I want to pay that forward, Weston said. He recently visited schools in Yorkshire and Surrey to talk about resilience, goal-setting, and the thrill of Olympic sport.
More Than Gold: Weston’s Broader Vision in Winter Olympic Skeleton
While the Olympic gold remains the ultimate prize, Weston is quick to acknowledge that success comes in many forms. Of course I want to win—but I also want to represent myself and my country with pride, he said. If I give everything I have and inspire a few people along the way, that’s a win too.
Fans, teammates, and even competitors admire Weston’s blend of humility and hunger. He’s got the skill, the work ethic, and the respect of the circuit, said German rival Christopher Grotheer. He’ll be tough to beat.
Legacy in Motion: Weston’s Growing Impact in Winter Olympic Skeleton
Weston’s leadership qualities have already begun to shine beyond the ice track. Within the British Winter Olympic skeleton program, he’s taken on an informal mentoring role—offering advice to younger athletes on everything from race preparation to handling pressure. His calm demeanor and work ethic make him a natural role model, and team officials have praised his willingness to lift others while continuing to pursue his own goals.
Off the track, Weston has also started using his growing platform to promote winter sports across the UK. He’s collaborated with grassroots initiatives to bring Winter Olympic skeleton and bobsleigh awareness to schools, particularly in urban areas where access to winter sports is limited. If we want to compete with the best in the world, we need to find talent everywhere, Weston said. That means showing kids who’ve never even seen a sled that there’s a place for them in this sport.
From Uncertainty to Destiny: Weston’s Road to Winter Olympic Skeleton Glory
As the Olympic season draws closer, Matt Weston’s schedule is packed with training camps, World Cup races, and track sessions in Cortina. But in quieter moments, he often reflects on the journey.
Sometimes I think back to that first time I laid on a Winter Olympic skeleton sled and thought, ‘What am I doing? he said, laughing. Now, here I am, world number one, chasing Olympic gold. It’s surreal—but it’s also everything I’ve worked for.
Whether he finishes first or not, Weston’s story is already a testament to discipline, transformation, and belief. In a sport measured by tenths of a second, Winter Olympic skeleton has found in Matt Weston a competitor with purpose—and maybe, just maybe, destiny.
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