Matt Weston leads the way after two track records on the first two runs in the Men's Skeleton. Marcus Wyatt, Britain's second slider, sits in seventh. The final two runs take place on Friday evening in Cortina d'ampezzo.
Weston said after his runs: "I am after perfection and I still made some mistakes on that second run. It is an amazing place to be, the fact I have got some mistakes and things to clear up and I am sitting in top spot. It is a lovely place to be."
Having chosen to go first (as the top seed), Weston explained his reasons for this "It is a lot of waiting but I quite like it. It allows you to completely reset, completely take your foot off the gas and rebuild from there. The first run, the top 10 get to choose where they start so I chose first to not look at anyone else’s times, do my own thing."
Weston appreciated the support that he heard at the start "You can certainly hear them at the top. As soon as you are on the sled I am in the zone and focussed. It is actually quite a noisy sport, we make a bit of a racket so I can hear that mainly. I have got my blinkers on and I am focussed on what I am doing down the track."
Marcus Wyatt sits in seventh at the moment and he reflected on his two opening runs: "It was okay. I made a few mistake on both runs. I feel like I was aiming for slightly better but it is super tight. That’s skeleton racing. Hopefully I can come back tomorrow, pick up a few spots and get in those medals."
Wyatt was hugely grateful for all his friends and family to be out supporting him "To have them all here supporting me is special, it means so much. It is a great feeling."
While Skeleton is very individual in terms of when they are on the track, the two, Weston and Wyatt push each other hard and it is this that makes them strong. Weston explained:
"We work together so well. We share everything we do on the track.
"We’ve been sharing rooms, sharing beds, for the last six or seven years. It is really cool that we can be experiencing these things together.
"We have both helped each other to get to where we are now. We’ve pushed each other whether it’s in the gym or in the track. That’s why we have had success up until now. We push each other and make each other better."
While the British team look back on a successful first day, the Ukrainian team were disqualified due to the refusal of Vladylsav Heraskevych to adhere to the IOC athlete expression guidelines.
Having been given one final opportunity, skeleton pilot Vladylsav Heraskevych from Ukraine will not be able to start his race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games this morning. The decision followed his refusal to comply with the IOC’s Guidelines on Athlete Expression. It was taken by the jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the rules.
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Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr Heraskevych, the last one this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he did not consider any form of compromise.
The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it.
Mr Heraskevych was able to display his helmet in all training runs. The IOC also offered him the option of displaying it immediately after the competition when going through the mixed zone.
Picture courtesy of BOA
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