Winter Olympics: Matt Weston skeleton gold 'his race to lose' at 2026 Milan Cortina Games says Lizzy Yarnold

Lizzy Yarnold powered her way to two gold medals in 2014 and 2018. So dominant and so skilled at her craft was she, many said at the time that those gold runs had been hers to lose.

Fast forward to 2026 and, once again, Team GB is widely expected to be taking gold again in skeleton, this time though with the men.

Team GB's men's skeleton team is made up of two of the best in the world right now with world champion Matt Weston just pipping his team-mate Marcus Wyatt.

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The two have dominated the season so far with Yarnold confident of a British victory.

"I would love to see two-time world champion Matt Weston win, it's really his race to lose," Yarnold tells Sky Sports.

"Matt Weston grew up quite close to where I grew up in Kent as well so there must be something in the water!

"You know he's a focused athlete, he's got great attention to detail and over the years that he's been doing skeleton he's become two-time world champion.

"He's got the psychology, not only the physical skill and the sliding ability, but I think it will be interesting to watch him race over four runs at the Olympic Games and see whether he can hold it together.

"And it really is his race to lose, his race to give away.

"Can he do it over the two days? I think that's the beauty of sport. We kind of just don't know what's going to happen so when we talk about skeleton racing and Team GB success, we've had pretty consistent success since 2002."

While Weston and Wyatt should be in the mix for medals at these Olympics, for the women's event for the first time Team GB has qualified three sliders.

An outside shot at a medal at Milan-Cortina perhaps, but the squad is young and only getting better. There is a great deal for them to live up to, with British women medalling at the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Olympics, a total of three golds, a silver and a bronze across four Games;

"The three female athletes, we've never had three skeleton athletes selected before," says Yarnold.

"So it's an exciting time that the sport is changing, they've had recent failure and disappointment, but now we're on this sense of belief and connection to each other as a team and connection to their own ability and skill as well."

'Technical at the top, fast paced at the bottom' - what's the Cortina sliding centre like?

Milan-Cortina 2026 has not been without its challenges, from the presence of US Federal ICE Agents in Milan to the readiness of several venues including the Cortina Sliding Centre where the skeleton takes place.

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Just over a year ago the IOC were suggesting that skeleton, bobsleigh and luge events may have to be moved to another sliding centre - perhaps even one outside of Italy - but somehow the track is ready and safe even if some of the surrounding infrastructure isn't yet completed:

"Safety is a really important thing to be aware of at the sliding centre," says Yarnold.

"They've been able to build the track, I think within 18 months, so it's incredibly impressive. The athletes haven't had as many runs down the track as I suppose I would ideally want, just to gain knowledge and further understanding and for the track to feel like home...

"It's technical at the top, it's fast paced at the bottom, there are uphill sections where things can go wrong. So it looks ready and the athletes will start official training next week. And then we rumble straight into the racing at the end of next week."

Yarnold's experience as a two-time Olympic champion means she will pass on her knowledge to the current Team GB sliders, while she's also teamed up with Weston on another project to embrace and celebrate the great outdoors during winter - a bit of a prerequisite if you're an elite winter sportsperson!

Yarnold and Weston have collaborated on a short film called Dear Nature to inspire people to enjoy everything the outdoors offers during the winter months,

"It's a thanks to nature!" explains Yarnold.

"A moment to inspire us as athletes because we love the outside, we love nature because that's why we got involved in winter sports, but also to connect with the British public and take a moment to get them outside, take a moment of calm and have your own special moment within nature.

"I think winter sports especially so appreciate the beauty and the natural wonder of the environment. There aren't many sports that actually happen within nature and through nature."