Matt Weston’s need for speed will not be halted by shoulder surgery

Matt Weston believes he has the potential to go even faster despite delivering a string of dominant performances to secure two skeleton gold medals at the Winter Olympics.

Weston led all the way in the men’s competition in Cortina to win by the best part of a second before producing yet another storming run to turn a 0.3-second deficit into a 0.17s victory in the mixed team competition with partner Tabby Stoecker.

He is the first British athlete to win two medals at the same Winter Olympics, but Weston revealed he achieved that landmark success despite nursing a shoulder issue.

“I’m already lined up for an operation as soon as I get back on my shoulder. For a year or so, I’ve needed it but we’ve been holding out until after the Games,” he said.

“We considered it at the start of summer last year, just to see what we could do, but we just didn’t want to risk it, really. I’ve been competing with a dodgy shoulder and in a lot of pain quite a lot of the time.

“I haven’t really been carrying my sled around, not because I’m being lazy and a bit of a princess, but physically, it would break me basically.

“I was hanging on getting to these Games and the team around me have done a very good job, just to get me here and in good enough condition that I can go and compete.”

Weston also tore his quad muscle before the season began, with those injury issues leaving “Captain 110 per cent” certain he can eke out further improvement.

He said: “I am always wanting more. I always want to be faster, I always want to be quicker, not just physically, but down the track as well.

“I think there’s still some potential to get faster. That’s one thing that is amazing, that we can still get more.”

Weston and Stoecker’s celebrations stretched until 4am, with the dual Olympic champion adding: “I think we’re just running on adrenalin at the moment and the buzz of having an Olympic gold medal around our necks.

“The first medal hasn’t sunk in, let alone the fact that I’ve won two. It feels pretty amazing to have both of these around my neck and very surreal. I definitely don’t think it’s sunk in.

“I’m not quite sure how life is going to change because I’ve been keeping off socials, keeping off my phone and things like that, but I’ve definitely noticed a bit of a buzz.”

Weston and Stoecker, who finished fifth in the women’s event, have been headline news on the front and back pages, with both happy to boost the profile of the sport.

Stoecker said: “For skeleton, it’s not always the most watched outside of the Games, for our World Cups, for our world champs, and we’ve been really successful, but maybe not had as much recognition as other sports get.

“So to have this moment at the Olympics with the whole nation behind us, being front page in the news, having all the attention; it’s not just for us, it is for all those people who might be inspired by what we’ve done in any way.

“For me, that just feels so impactful and, hopefully, that will last way longer than we will.”

Weston added he has been heartened by a surge in interest in the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association’s (BBSA) talent ID campaign.

He added: “I think 3,500 people have applied for skeleton off the back of the last few days. That’s pretty special to me that we’ve been able to be part of that inspirational journey.”