Reigning world champion Matt Weston has taken a commanding lead in the men’s singles skeleton event at the 2026 Winter Olympics after an impressive first day of competition. Weston clocked a track record 55.88 seconds on his second run, giving him a combined time of 1:52.09 that puts him ahead of the field going into Friday’s final runs.
The Team GB athlete, who trains at the University of Bath, currently holds the lead over Germany’s Axel Jungk, silver medallist at Beijing 2022, and defending Olympic champion Christopher Grotheer. Both German contenders remain hot on Weston’s trail as they prepare for the two final heats that will decide the medal standings.
China’s Chen Wenhao provided a strong showing with his second run, currently placing fourth with a total time of 1:52.68. Italy’s Amedeo Bagnis, representing the host nation, sits just behind in fifth place (1:52.75), offering local fans hope for a podium finish. Rounding out the top seven are Felix Keisinger of Germany (1:52.97) and Devon’s Marcus Wyatt, Britain’s world silver medallist behind Weston, at 1:53.21.
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Reflecting on his performance, Weston said, “I was quite annoyed after the first run because I made errors in the first three corners due to being too relaxed from trying to handle nerves. But I was glad to fix it on run two.” He described his mindset for the final day: “I take every run as run one. I’ll reset, switch off for a bit, then refocus tomorrow. I’ve been in this position before, so I know how to handle the pressure and expectations. Now I’ve learned to channel it as the fire to perform my best.”
Wyatt remains optimistic despite mistakes. “I’m still in the mix and hoping for a classic comeback tomorrow,” he commented. “A couple of corners have been tricky on this quirky track, and small errors cost precious time.”
However, the excitement of day one has been overshadowed by the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdrew his accreditation after he refused to comply with guidelines on athlete expression by insisting on wearing a helmet honoring fallen Ukrainian athletes lost in the Russian conflict. Despite multiple discussions and attempts to find a compromise, Heraskevych stood firm on his stance.
The IOC released a statement explaining the decision: “Skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych will not start his race at Milano Cortina 2026 after refusing to comply with the IOC athlete expression guidelines. The jury of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation determined the helmet did not meet competition rules. After several exchanges and meetings, including with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he declined any form of compromise.”
Heraskevych responded on social media, expressing regret at the controversy and emphasizing he “never wanted a scandal.” He called on the IOC to lift the helmet ban, apologize, and support Ukrainian sports facilities.
As the skeleton competition moves forward, all eyes remain on Weston’s pursuit of Olympic gold amid the complex backdrop of sport and global politics intertwining at the Games.