Skeleton sees surge from goldrush 2026 Games

Breaking news from the world of sport: Skeleton sees surge from goldrush 2026 GamesImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Tabitha Stoecker and Matt Weston continued Britain's long Winter Olympics success in the skeleton this yearBySophie Hurcom, Sport England and Jack Killah, Radio SomersetPublished4 hours agoWhen Matt Weston and Tabitha Stoecker made history at the Winter Olympics, winning three gold medals between them in the skeleton, neither knew their success would kick-start a surge of interest in the sport never before seen in Great Britain. In the months during and after the Games, more than 7,000 people have signed up for a talent identification campaign launched by the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) to find future stars for the two sports. On the two days alone that Weston and Stoecker won gold in the men's and the team event, around 2,400 people signed up - 1,200 each day.

For a country that does not even have an ice track for athletes to train on, the sport is now experiencing a a post-Games boom. "Having those 7,000 applicants is actually quite a tangible thing for me to say, 'I know this is how much impact we've had on the nation'," Weston told Somerset. "It's definitely done wonders for the the profile of the sport and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

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"Why are Team GB so good at skeleton? Published15 FebruaryHow British skeleton came back fighting after 2022 Published11 FebruaryWeston and Stoecker are both examples of how successful talent spotting programmes can be. Both came to skeleton via a UK Sport campaign called 'Discover Your Gold', which saw potential athletes assessed for a range of sports and allocated to the one they were most suited to.

Weston previously competed as a weightlifter and was advised to apply by his coach, while Stoecker saw an advert on Instagram while working as a circus performer. But what makes the applicants from this year different is that they were registering interest in a scheme specific to skeleton and bobsleigh, rather than one working across a wide range of sports. Testing sessions have already begun with around 1,600 of those 7,000 invited to take part.

To put that into context, the BBSA's pre-Games target hoped 1,000 people would apply, let alone make it past the first stage. "The sport, it's quite niche, we don't get a lot of exposure at times outside of the Games so for us to have capitalised on that moment so well, it's going to have a huge impact in the future of our sport," Stoecker said. "It just goes to show that if you can see it, you can believe it.

It opens a door for people to know that there's this path out there for them to go and do this amazing, exciting winter sport that you don't really get to see that much in the UK. "For me and Matt to know that we were pivotal in creating that moment for people to really see something new and envision themselves in our position - it's absolutely fantastic.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.