British Skeleton will head into Olympic year with confidence high after winning six medals on the final IBSF World Cup race weekend of 2025, including back-to-back one-two finishes in the men’s races.
A double-header weekend of racing in Sigulda, Latvia saw University of Bath-based Matt Weston dominate the first men’s race on Friday to finish nearly a second clear of the field in 1:40.35 and claim a third successive gold at the start of the season.
Team-mate Marcus Wyatt had been sixth after the first run but was second-fastest down the track in the decisive one to take second spot and secure his first individual medal of the 2025-26 campaign.
He didn’t have to wait too long to notch his first gold as the placings were reversed in Saturday’s race, Wyatt building on a rapid first run of 50.02 to finish 14-hundredths of a second ahead of Weston and claim victory in 1:41.37.
Those results mean that Weston and Wyatt sit first and third respectively in the men’s world rankings at the halfway point of the season. Jacob Salisbury is 20th overall after placing 17th and 26th in Sigulda.
Tabby Stoecker had got the extended weekend off to a strong start as she finished runner-up in the women’s race on Thursday, her second silver medal in as many races.
Amelia Coltman, who was 11th in that race, then earned her first podium finish of the season the following day as she won a brilliant bronze in 1:44.30, just 14-hundredths of a second off top spot.
Freya Tarbit joined her team-mate on the wider podium after placing sixth, a fantastic response to the previous day’s disappointment when she had dropped from seventh after the first run to finish 25th.
Stoceker suffered similar frustration to Tarbit in Race 2 as she came down 19th in tricky conditions in Run 1. However, she bounced back brilliantly to set the fastest time of all in Run 2, climbing back up to 14th.
Those results mean that Stoecker is sixth, Coltman eighth and Tarbit 12th in the women’s world rankings going into 2026.
The athletes now have a short Christmas break before the Olympic season resumes in Winterberg, Germany on Friday 2nd January.
The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) is based at the University of Bath, a UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre, with the athletes doing their home training on the UK’s only outdoor push-start track, as well as in the gym and on the indoor sprint track at the Sports Training Village.
With thanks to Team Bath
