How a Skeleton Olympian Trains for Gold

In the space for three days in February, Matt Weston finished first in the high-stakes sport of skeleton (both in the men’s title and with mixed team partner Tabitha Stoecker), making him the first British athlete to win two gold medals at the same Winter Olympics.

Despite being only the second male skeleton ‘slider’ to win the Olympic, World, European and World Cup titles, Weston only got started in the sport nine years ago. The 28-year-old spent his formative years playing rugby and practicing taekwondo. It was only when a training injury dashed a promising martial arts career that he decided to branch out and try something new.

Weston, who was part of UK Sport’s Discover your Gold program, was selected to undertake a barrage of physical tests, measuring everything from his sprint to how high he could jump. Testing well for explosive power, the governing body suggested Weston might feel at home bombing down a mountain at 80mph. Luckily, he agreed. “Now it’s a lot easier to apply to compete in skeleton,” Weston laughs. “You can apply to the sport directly, and go from there.”

We spoke to the Corona Cero ambassador about the fitness and recovery plam he uses to train for the competition, where athletes charge down a twisty ice track atop what could be mistaken as a big baking tray.

The skeleton Olympian’s go-to workout routine

What makes a good skeleton athlete? Weston lists three main attributes: having a strong push, having strong reflexes to handle break-neck turns, and knowing your equipment inside and out. (A nice, strong helmet is key.) Gear aside, Weston focuses on the first two factors at the gym. “We spend so much time lifting heavy weights during summer training,” Weston explains. “Skeleton athletes are basically a hybrid between a weight-lifter and a sprinter. You need to be able to drive forward with one leg.”

“Hamstrings are one of the main speed areas for us,” he says. “When we’re launching the sled, we’re bent over, almost running with our legs up in the air, so we need good strength and flexibility through the entire range of motion.” This comes down to single leg sessions, including Bulgarian split squats, lunges and reverse lunges, ad nauseam. “We can get some pretty big weights out there,” Weston says. “I’ve never bench-pressed 100 kg [approximately 220 lbs] because a big upper body makes you less aerodynamic, but my PB for reverse lunges is 190 kg [approximately 430 lbs] on each leg, for three reps.”