Matt Weston, the first British athlete to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics, is now targeting a second gold. After his pizza-and-bed celebration, Weston is set to compete in the mixed team skeleton event, a new addition to the Olympics. This event gives him a chance to become the first British athlete to win two medals at the same Winter Olympics. Weston is confident, stating, 'We’re going to be one of the strongest sets of teams out there. We can definitely take it to the rest of the nations, and hopefully come back with a few more bits of bling.'
The mixed team skeleton event involves a reaction start, where sledders must wait for the start lights to change and face a half-second penalty for false starts. Weston, a perfectionist, believes he can improve his performance, having already broken the track record in Cortina four times this week. He says, 'I look at it as a continuation, like a five-heat race. The only difference is that reaction start, and that’s quite exciting, it adds a bit of jeopardy and adds a bit of adrenaline so hopefully I’ll push a bit faster as well. It’s just laying it all out there.'
Weston's roommate, Marcus Wyatt, will also compete in the mixed team event, along with the second-fastest British woman. The competition is fierce, with China, Austria, and Germany as strong contenders, especially after their recent successes in the men's and women's events. Despite their challenges, Weston remains optimistic, having finished second in the last three world championship events, twice with Tabby Stoecker. He says, 'I haven’t forgotten how to do it so, yeah, I’m excited to see what we can do and I think the team’s in a great position.'
As Weston and his team prepare for the mixed team skeleton event, the question remains: will they bring home more gold? The answer lies in the balance of their speed, strategy, and the unique challenges of the reaction start.
