Matt Weston
"Having that rugby background and being used to getting knocked around a bit is quite good for the world of skeleton".
You have to be a certain type of person to launch yourself onto a sled face-first onto a track of ice-coated twists and turns, and race down it at over 80 mph.
Thankfully, Matt Weston’s background in rugby – he played for Kent and Sevenoaks RFC - provided excellent preparation for the world of skeleton.
“I focus a lot more on being in a team,” he said. “I think it helps quite a lot. I think we’re all very good team players. It also helps in the fact that you’re kind of used to getting beaten up as well.
“Going down the track, some of these ice walls aren’t that smooth, so you do get beaten up quite a bit. So having that rugby background and being used to getting knocked around a bit is quite good.”
Team GB has stood on every Olympic podium since skeleton was reintroduced at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 after a 54-year absence, and, in July, they received an extra £90,000 from UK Sport to support their prep for Beijing and beyond.
Now, looking ahead to Beijing 2022, Redhill’s Matt Weston is riding high after a gold medal win at Igls in November and hoping to be the latest name to add to the 1,000+ Olympic and Paralympic medals achieved by Team GB since National Lottery funding to elite sport started in 1997.
“I think that just adds to a lot of the excitement and positive feelings toward this season,” said the 24-year-old.
“We’re in a really good position physically, and in terms of [the cycle], going into this year all getting World Cup medals last year, we’re in a really, really strong place.
“And I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Last year, Weston had the opportunity to try out the dragon-inspired Olympic track at a test event, finishing 17th – ahead of reigning Olympic champion Yun Sungbin.
It was a tiny taste of what the future could hold—but one that more than whet Weston’s appetite to ensure it wasn’t a one-off.
He added: “The fact that I’ve been on the Olympic track now is amazing. There’s so much you can gain from it as well.
“They’ve created something that’s just out of this world in terms of how grand and magnificent it is. Everything is taken care of, every box is ticked, it’s unreal.
“I was almost gobsmacked when I went there.”
Since National Lottery funding to elite sport started in 1997, over 1,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals have been won, with more to come in Beijing 2022, Paris 2024 and beyond.
“I think that just adds to a lot of the excitement and positive feelings toward this season,” said the 24-year-old.
“We’re in a really good position physically, and in terms of [the cycle], going into this year all getting World Cup medals last year, we’re in a really, really strong place.
“And I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Last year, Weston had the opportunity to try out the dragon-inspired Olympic track at a test event, finishing 17th – ahead of reigning Olympic champion Yun Sungbin.
It was a tiny taste of what the future could hold—but one that more than whet Weston’s appetite to ensure it wasn’t a one-off.
He added: “The fact that I’ve been on the Olympic track now is amazing. There’s so much you can gain from it as well.
“They’ve created something that’s just out of this world in terms of how grand and magnificent it is. Everything is taken care of, every box is ticked, it’s unreal.
“I was almost gobsmacked when I went there.”
Since National Lottery funding to elite sport started in 1997, over 1,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals have been won, with more to come in Beijing 2022, Paris 2024 and beyond.
