Matt Weston has slid into the history books more times than he can count.
The skeleton star has become one of the most well-known names on the track in recent years, consistently making podiums and helping make Britain a force on the global stage.
Weston became Britain's first skeleton world champion in eight years with an untouchable performance in St. Moritz in 2023, racing to glory on the track in a combined time of 4:28.71.
In doing so, he became the first Brit to take the title since Lizzie Yarnold in 2015 and the first British man since Kristan Bromley in 2008.
Here's everything you need to know about Weston.
Rugby and taekwondo roots
Like many winter athletes, Weston has previously already represented his country in another sport.
He initially started out practicing taekwondo and made a significant name for himself on both the domestic and international scene.
Weston won international honours for England, in the non-Olympic ITF style of the sport, as a teenager.
He then picked up gold and silver at the 2012 European Cup in Slovakia and silver and bronze in the World Cup in Brighton in 2014 before he was forced to retire from the sport aged 17 due to a stress fracture in his back.
Alongside his taekwondo career, Weston was also a strong rugby player, having
represented Kent and played for a Saracens Academy college and Sevenoaks RFC.
In 2017, his weightlifting coach suggested he tried the Discover Your Gold talent identification scheme and came across the skeleton pathway for the first time.
Obligatory random fact
Weston is on record stating he can juggle and ride a unicycle at the same time.
Skeleton early years
Weston finished 15th in his debut race in 2019, which was on the Europa Cup circuit in Winterberg. To reach that stage, he went through a gruelling training period with the Royal Marines, designed to test his physical and mental fitness.
It all came clutch when he won his first international skeleton medal with silver at Igls, a track that would soon become very dear to him, before backing it up with bronze in Altenberg.
In January 2020, Weston made his World Cup debut, adding another Igls silver before stepping into history for the first time.
The slider won Great Britain's first men's World Cup gold in 14 years in November 2021, with the same Igls track providing the backdrop for his victory.
A successful season led to Weston being selected for his maiden Olympic Games at Beijing 2022 where he finished 15th overall.
He said: “I can’t sugar coat the Olympics, it was tough. It hit all of us hard, at different times and in different ways."
World and European champion success
Weston's 2023 couldn't have been any further from his Beijing disappointment.
With new Latvian coach and six-time world champion Martins Dukurs by his side, Weston climbed all the way to the top of the podium.
It started with a bronze medal at the first World Cup event of the season in Whistler and Weston went on to pick up a further seven podiums, including five golds.
Weston also won European Championship gold in Altenberg, before adding world gold to his name in St. Moritz.
Taking the crown by a staggering 1.49 seconds, Weston stormed into sliding folklore in incredible fashion and shocked the world.
“It's an amazing feeling. It’s an absolute dream to be world champion,” said Weston.
“I can’t really describe it, to be honest. It’s pretty special.
“I knew that I had a good chance after winning the last two World Cups in Altenberg but to actually come here and make it a reality is incredible.
The season after saw an equally fruitful time for the Brit, who added European silver, behind teammate Marcus Myatt, and world silver to his CV, as well as winning the overall World Cup title.
With Milano Cortina 2026 just over one year away, Weston is certainly one to watch leading up to a possible second Olympics.
Sportsbeat 2024