Gb's Weston In Prime Position To Win Skeleton Gold

Matt Weston underlined his position arsenic nan world's champion skeleton aviator by mounting nan way grounds connected his measurement to taking a important halfway lead astatine nan Winter Olympics.

The two-time world champion - Team GB's biggest badge dream successful Milan-Cortina -put down a connection 2nd tally to unfastened an advantage of 0.30 seconds complete nan field, pinch 2 medal-deciding runs to travel connected Friday.

Weston was nan only slider nether 56 seconds arsenic he clocked 55.88secs successful power two, to adhd to his 56.21secs successful tally 1 connected nan caller Cortina sliding track.

After a frustrating opening run, which began pinch a costly bump against nan wall adjacent nan apical of nan track, Weston was intelligibly irritated pinch his performance.

But, nether unit from 2 German sliders, he tidied up those errors pinch a slick and highly awesome 2nd run, shaving 0.33secs disconnected his opening effort, to springiness him an wide clip of 1 infinitesimal 52.09secs.

Given skeleton medals are often decided by hundredths of a second, Weston's fist pumps astatine nan extremity of his 2nd tally were not only a motion of his elation astatine a cleaner run, but besides marking nan value of his advantage.

Compatriot Marcus Wyatt sits seventh pinch a mixed clip of 1:53.21 - 0.66secs extracurricular of nan badge places.

Wyatt, 34, was besides a beardown badge contender coming into nan Games but has struggled connected nan method Cortina way and a podium-finish already seems for illustration a reliable ask.

Axel Jungk, metallic medallist successful Beijing 4 years ago, is successful 2nd spot pinch a clip of 1:52.39 while chap German and defending Olympic champion Christopher Grotheer is 3rd pinch 1:52.55.

The last 2 heats will return beryllium shown unrecorded connected nan BBC from 18:30 GMT connected Friday pinch each 4 tally times added together to springiness an wide result.

Weston arrived successful Cortina arsenic Team GB's champion dream of a golden badge but now has nan added unit that he is apt to beryllium chasing a first badge of these Games for nan British squad pursuing a bid of misses for nan nation's different hopefuls.

He has been nan ascendant slider of caller seasons connected nan world stage, claiming 5 title wins and 2 further podium finishes this play arsenic he won a 3rd successive World Cup title.

The build-up to nan Olympic arena was dominated by 'helmet-gate' - pinch nan British squad hoping to a deterioration a caller creation successful Italy.

The helmet was banned by nan sport's governing assemblage - nan International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Foundation (IBSF) - who said it did not comply pinch rules astir style arsenic nan backmost of nan helmet protrudes, giving an aerodynamic advantage.

The British squad mislaid an appeal pinch nan Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) to overturn nan decision, meaning they could not deterioration them astatine nan Games.

The athletes said they were unphased by nan rumor and pointed retired that each of their occurrence this play has travel pinch nan aged helmets.

GB person agelong been a dominant unit successful skeleton, winning medals astatine each Games since nan athletics was reinstated to nan programme successful 2002.

That was until 2022, erstwhile Team GB grounded to triumph a badge successful what was a disappointing Olympic run successful Beijing.

Weston's 15th-place decorativeness was nan highest of nan 4 British athletes competing connected nan Yanqing way pinch Wyatt coming 16th.

Weston thought astir quitting nan athletics aft that but 4 years later looks primed to fulfil his committedness connected nan Olympic stage.