History was made at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker clinched gold in the inaugural mixed team skeleton event, capping a dazzling day for Team GB. The duo’s stunning victory not only marked the debut of this electrifying discipline on the Olympic stage but also propelled Britain to a record-breaking haul at a single Winter Games, with three gold medals secured and two of them coming within a few hours.
Matt Weston, already riding high after capturing the men’s skeleton title just two days prior, joined forces with Tabby Stoecker—who had finished fifth in the women’s event—to form a formidable partnership. The pressure was palpable as Stoecker kicked off the mixed team competition with a solid run, but the British pair found themselves trailing the German team of Susanne Kreher and Axel Jungk by 0.30 seconds at the halfway mark.
Could Weston close the gap? The answer came in a heart-pounding final run. With nerves of steel and a reaction time of just 0.12 seconds, Weston rocketed down the Cortina Sliding Centre track, clocking a blistering 58.59 seconds. Their combined time of 1:59.36 not only erased the deficit but set a new track record, delivering victory by a razor-thin margin of 0.17 seconds over the German favorites. As the Union Flag was raised and the national anthem played, Weston and Stoecker stood atop the podium, fists clenched in triumph, their elation clear for all to see.
“Luckily I felt like I knew what I needed to do,” Weston told reporters after the race. “When I had the individual event, I took a load of confidence from that and I just had to almost in my head be boring and get the job done. We’ve done it again! Olympic champs!” Stoecker, still in disbelief, added, “I can’t believe it. It’s a team effort, right, and when Matt came down and we were in the green... I think I am in shock.”
This golden performance was more than just a personal triumph. Weston’s second Olympic title makes him the first Briton to win two gold medals at a single Winter Olympics, tying him with women’s skeleton legend Lizzy Yarnold as Team GB’s most decorated Winter Olympian. The feat is all the more remarkable considering Britain’s modest winter sports tradition; with this third gold, Team GB leapfrogged traditional winter powerhouses like Canada, Finland, and China in the medal table, climbing to twelfth place.
Earlier in the day, Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale had already set the tone by winning gold in the mixed snowboard cross, making February 15 a “Super Sunday” for British sport. “Getting two gold medals today is just incredible,” said Team GB chef de mission Eve Muirhead. “[It’s] the most we have ever had in British Olympic winter history and, for Matt, being the most decorated male winter Olympian of all time is something really special.”
The mixed team skeleton event itself is a thrilling new addition to the Winter Olympics. Each team consists of one female and one male athlete, who race consecutively down the icy, twisting track at speeds reaching up to 130 km/h. Precision, reaction time, and nerves of steel are essential, as the combined time from both runs determines the winner. There are no second heats—one shot, all or nothing. The start order is determined by the athletes’ combined international ranking points, with the top-ranked teams going last. Stoecker and Weston, as reigning world silver medalists, were the final competitors to take the ice, adding to the drama.
Britain’s second team, Freya Tarbit and Marcus Wyatt, very nearly joined their compatriots on the podium. Tarbit, making her Olympic debut, set the fastest women’s time of the competition with a scorching 1:00.47. Wyatt built on that momentum, and for a moment, the pair led the standings. But heartbreak struck as they were edged out of the bronze by the German duo of Jacqueline Pfeifer and Christopher Grotheer, missing the podium by just 0.11 seconds. “I can come away with my head held high that I can hold my own and hold it together with pressure,” Tarbit told the BBC. “Two gold medals for British skeleton is something to be immensely proud of. It is great for the programme, for us, for us to be part of. It’s just great that GB are so good at a winter sport.”
The German teams, long dominant in sliding sports, were forced to settle for silver and bronze. Kreher and Jungk, who had led after the first leg, watched as Weston’s flawless descent snatched gold from their grasp. The final podium read: Great Britain (Stoecker and Weston) with 1:59.36, Germany (Kreher and Jungk) 0.17 seconds behind, and Germany (Pfeifer and Grotheer) another 0.01 seconds back.
For Weston, the moment was the culmination of years of dedication and a testament to the growing strength of British skeleton. “He’s a hell of a skeleton athlete and he’s now tied Lizzy [Yarnold, dual women’s skeleton champion] for I think most decorated Winter Olympian from GB, so it’s not a bad day,” said roommate and teammate Marcus Wyatt. The achievement is all the more impressive given that, just a decade ago, skeleton was a niche pursuit in the UK, largely overshadowed by more established winter sports.
Stoecker’s journey has also been remarkable. At just 25, she has become a household name overnight, her exuberance on the ice after Weston’s run capturing the hearts of fans back home. The pair’s chemistry and mutual trust were evident throughout the competition, and their victory is already being hailed as a watershed moment for British winter sport.
With a week of Olympic action still to go, the mood in the British camp is buoyant. The double gold haul has sparked dreams of further success, and the impact on the sport of skeleton in the UK could be transformative. As Tarbit noted, “These gold medals in the last 48 hours could transform the sport of skeleton in the UK.”
As the sun set over the Cortina mountains, Team GB’s athletes and supporters celebrated a day that will live long in the memory. With history made and records shattered, the 2026 Winter Olympics have already become Britain’s greatest ever—and there may yet be more chapters to write.