How Weston handled pressure to win Olympic gold and GB's first medal

Standing at the top of the winding Cortina sliding track with Olympic gold in his sights, Matt Weston knew what he had to do.

Having laid the foundations for skeleton gold on Thursday - tidying up errors from his first run to produce a statement second, each time setting the track record - the Briton merely needed more of the same on Friday.

What he produced was not only a masterclass in sliding but also a remarkable display of composure and focus to clinch gold - Team GB's first medal of the Games - and cement his place at the top of the sport.

"It means everything. It means a hell of a lot to me personally, I've worked so hard for this," Weston told BBC Sport.

"But everyone back home - my fiancee, my family, my friends, everyone who has sacrificed everything for this. I've missed funerals, birthdays, everything for this moment. It feels amazing. Hopefully I made you proud."

Weston set a track record on all four of his runs and could have eased off in his final attempt having already built a significant margin of 0.39 seconds, but ramped things up on what was ultimately a victory lap lasting 55.61secs, finishing with a sensational overall time of 3:43.33.

It left an almost impossible task for the chasing pack and Germany's Axel Jungk finished 0.88secs behind to take silver, while compatriot and defending Olympic champion Christopher Grotheer secured bronze, 1.07secs behind Weston.

The pressure to deliver was there. The 28-year-old from Redhill was the heavy favourite to top the podium in Italy having dominated the sport in the past four-year cycle, but no British man had won an Olympic skeleton gold medal before.

He also carried the weight of Team GB teetering on the edge of overall disappointment at the Games, having been tipped for a record medal haul at Milan-Cortina but watching those ambitions begin to slip away.

Weston blocked out the noise of 'helmet-gate', of seeing his peer Vladyslav Heraskevych disqualified from the competition just moments before the first heat, and of the disaster that was Beijing 2022, where GB failed to win a skeleton medal for the first time since 2002.

He put it all aside to add the Olympic crown to his two World Championship titles and three Crystal Globes - the overall World Cup trophies.

Four years ago, it was a different story.

His overwhelming disappointment at missing out on the Olympic podium almost led to him quitting the sport and he told BBC Sport earlier this year he has had to teach himself to "love the pressure and expectation".

From speaking to friends and family to knowing when to rest and eating lots of pasta, Weston has figured out the secret to his own success, and now he's reaping the rewards.

The new champion knows what it feels like to walk away from an Olympics empty-handed, having finished 15th at his maiden Games in Beijing.

Knowing he did not want to feel that again, he has worked on switching his mentality and says that has paved the way for his success.

In 2023 he became Britain's first men's world champion in 15 years, taking silver the following year but reclaiming his title in 2025.

His first World Cup title came in 2024 and he has been unrivalled since, earlier this year becoming the first man to defend the trophy twice - winning five of the seven races this season and finishing second in the other two.

Arriving at this Games as reigning world, European and World Cup champion, the pressure was on to deliver.

"I have taught myself to love the pressure and love the expectation I have on my shoulders," Weston told BBC Sport after run two on Thursday.

"I didn't like it when I first had success, but now I have turned it into fire that I can go out and give my best."

He represented England at taekwondo as a teenager, winning various medals at national level, but a back injury brought that particular sporting career to an end.

He was also a gifted rugby player but, like many skeleton racers, it was through a talent identification programme that Weston discovered his love and aptitude for the winter sport nine years ago.

Quickly rising up the sport came with its own issues and, following that disappointing result four years ago, Weston had to learn to embrace the pressure and, once winning became the norm, carry the weight of being the favourite.

That attitude has served him well in Italy as he has been able to block out the noise, pointing to enjoyment as the key to his success.

It has not just been on the track where Weston has blocked out the noise.

The build-up to the Olympic event was dominated by discussion around the British team's desire to a wear a new helmet design in Italy.

They ultimately lost an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), banning them from wearing their new helmet.

Weston and team-mate Marcus Wyatt, who was also tipped for success but finished ninth, were confident it would not make a difference, pointing to the triumphs they have enjoyed all season.

That came before Weston saw Ukrainian Heraskevych disqualified moments before the men's competition started on Thursday.

And after a week of no medals for the British team in Italy, pressure on Weston gradually increased.

But he knew what he needed to do to win gold, stating he would settle for nothing less in Cortina.

That doesn't always mean being the first to arrive at the track and the last to leave.

He sat out Wednesday's final training runs in favour of a rest, opting for some light stretching and mental respite by speaking to his fiance about anything other than sliding.

Plus, eating a lot of pasta, abiding by his motto "pasta makes you faster".

Ultimately, skeleton training is tricky, particularly for a British athlete.

With no ice tracks in Britain - only a push-start track at the University of Bath - a lot of time is spent in the gym working on speed and explosiveness to improve that all-important start.

With one run down the icy track taking less than a minute, it means the British sliders spend around two and a half hours per year actually completing runs and a lot of time visualising the track, understanding the twists and turns to make for a seamless run.

But Weston has got his rituals down to a tee and not only is he the first British man to win winter gold since Christopher Dean topped the ice dancing podium alongside Jayne Torvill in 1984, but also the first British man to win skeleton gold.

His success may not end there, as he partners Amelia Coltman in the mixed team event, newly introduced for Milan-Cortina, on Sunday.