As he celebrated clinching not one but two gold medals at the Winter Olympics, Crowborough’s Matt Weston had a message for friends and family back at home – “Hopefully I made you proud”.
And boy, has he?! Cheered on by his parents and fiancé, the 28-year-old set a new track record on each of his solo skeleton runs in Cortina, Italy – eventually winning gold by a huge margin, almost a second.
As he crossed the line all the years of grit, hard work and determination were evident in the ecstatic joy and emotion that he was finally able to release. It was an historic moment for Matt and for British sport.
It was also the fulfilment of a determined prediction he made to Crowborough News last year. He was focussed then on the podium top spot and told us: “I take that mindset of nothing is going to stop me from winning gold, so that is the mindset I have, nothing is going to get in my way.”
Speaking amidst the euphoria of victory it was obvious to the British public how much the win actually meant. Matt said: “It means everything. It means a hell of a lot to me personally, I’ve worked so hard for this.
“But everyone back home – my fiancee, my family, my friends, everyone who has sacrificed everything for this. I’ve missed funerals, birthdays, everything for this moment. It feels amazing. Hopefully I made you proud.”
There was also a lot of relief because Matt had been under huge pressure to deliver. He was favourite to top the podium having dominated the sport in the past few years, but no British man had won an Olympic skeleton gold medal before. But talk about rising to the challenge. His faultless sliding meant no-one else could even get close.
And he even had the presence of mind to re-focus two days later for the mixed skeleton event alongside Tabby Stoecker. After Tabby’s run, Matt was facing a tough task and was almost two-tenths of a second down. But with a sublime 58.59secs run he took the pair to the top of the podium.
In doing so he became the first Team GB athlete ever to win two gold medals at the same Winter Olympics.
A former pupil of Bennett Memorial School in Tunbridge Wells, Matt is now based with Team GB in Bath. But he often returns to visit family and friends in Crowborough and can often be spotted training at the Goldsmith’s running track.
In 2023 he became Britain’s first men’s world champion in 15 years, taking silver the following year before reclaiming his title in 2025. His first World Cup title came in 2024 and he has been unrivalled since, winning five of the seven races this season and finishing second in the other two to become the first man to defend the trophy twice.
Arriving at this Games as reigning world, European and World Cup champion, the pressure was on to deliver. He told TV viewers “I have taught myself to love the pressure and love the expectation I have on my shoulders. I didn’t like it when I first had success, but now I have turned it into fire that I can go out and give my best.”
He represented England at taekwondo as a teenager, winning various medals at national level and he achieved his black belt at the Vision Taekwondo Club in Crowborough town centre. But a back injury brought that particular sporting career to an end.
Crowborough News spoke to him after he scooped his first world championship, and he told us about his affection for Crowborough. He said: “I have lots of fond memories of the town and I think growing up in Crowborough has shaped who I am as a person as it is a nice area to grow up in.”
Matt added that people might find him sprinting around Goldsmiths Leisure Centre running track when he is not in Bath training for the 2026 Winter Olympics which are being held in Milan. “It feels homely and nice to come back and see some faces I have not seen for a while. I feel some more support when I come home too!”
Well, next time you come home Matt, it might not be quite so easy to have a quiet training session at the track. You have astonished the world and made history. The town could not be more proud – well done!