Skeleton sees surge from goldrush 2026 Games

Matt Weston and Tabitha Stoecker won three gold medals in skeleton at the Winter Olympics, triggering a surge of interest in Great Britain. The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association launched a talent identification campaign to find future stars for skeleton and bobsleigh. More than 7,000 people signed up, with about 2,400 registering during the two days Weston and Stoecker won gold. Testing sessions have started for roughly 1,600 invited applicants. The campaign’s impact is notable for a country without an ice track for athletes to train on. Both athletes reached skeleton through UK Sport’s “Discover Your Gold,” but this year’s applicants are registering for skeleton and bobsleigh specifically rather than across many sports.

"When 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 BBC Somerset."

"Weston 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."

Read at www.bbc.com