If you’ve been near the University of Bath’s Sports Training Village recently, you may have witnessed an athlete speeding down the UK’s only outdoor push-start track. That athlete is Matt Weston, who has rapidly risen to become the most commanding presence in the world of skeleton racing.
At just 28, Weston has already claimed his third consecutive IBSF Overall World Cup title, cementing his status not merely as “one to watch,” but as the man with every competitor’s focus squarely on him.
Weston’s path to skeleton was unconventional. Growing up in Tunbridge Wells, he excelled in taekwondo and rugby, representing Kent and playing for Sevenoaks RFC. A serious injury at 17 curtailed his martial arts pursuits, steering him toward a new challenge. In 2017, through UK Sport’s “Discover Your Gold” talent identification programme, Weston discovered skeleton—a sport where he could combine speed, skill, and mental toughness.
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Based at Bath’s BBSA (British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association) training centre, Weston has rewritten the record books. In 2023, he ended a 15-year drought by becoming the first British man to win the World Championship. Then, in 2025, he made history again as the first Briton to secure two world titles.
Heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Weston carries what’s become known as his “Triple Crown” — three straight World Cup overall titles. His journey hasn’t been without hurdles; the 2022 Beijing Games saw him finish 15th, a performance he describes as “tough.” Yet this February, he returns as the outright favourite for Olympic gold.
Despite suffering a thigh injury that disrupted his pre-season preparations, Weston dominated the 2025-26 World Cup circuit, winning five of seven races—including a golden victory on the very Cortina d’Ampezzo track that will host the Olympic competition next month.
“To win three Crystal Globes in a row and achieve something no British man has before is pretty special,” Weston said after his latest triumph. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”
Weston won’t be competing alone in Italy. His training partner and close friend Marcus Wyatt, from Honiton and also based at the University of Bath, finished third in the overall World Cup standings this year. Their friendly rivalry has propelled Great Britain to become the world’s second most successful nation in Olympic skeleton history.
As the team prepares for the Olympic push, all eyes—from Somerset to the international stage—are on Matt Weston, the University of Bath’s determined “petrol head,” as he chases the crowning achievement of his career: Olympic gold.