Tunbridge Wells’ Matt Weston capped a fortnight to remember after being selected to carry the British flag in the Winter Olympic closing ceremony.
Weston became the first British athlete to win two golds at the same winter Games with his double skeleton success in Cortina.
And he joined forces with Charlotte Bankes, who won Britain’s first-ever gold on snow, at the ceremony in Verona’s iconic Roman amphitheatre on Sunday.
“To be selected as flagbearer is a massive, massive honour and I’m so proud to be able to represent the country at the closing ceremony,” he said.
“The team have done everyone at home proud. We’ve got some amazing athletes here and they’ve shown the world what we’re made of.
“We’ve won medals and come close to winning medals in other events – there’s been so many incredible performances from so many different athletes. I’m very proud to be part of such a talented team – one that I hope has inspired lots of people back home.”
Weston’s historic contribution was praised by Team GB’s chef de mission Eve Muirhead, an Olympic champion four years ago in curling.
“Matt is an incredible athlete,” she said.
“Six months ago at a World Cup he told me he was only at 70 per cent – and then he comes here and wins two Olympic gold medals.
“He’s got that elite athlete mindset – resilience, determination, commitment. It’s been a privilege to work with him.
“He’s not just a great athlete, he’s a great guy. You can sit and have dinner with him, talk about anything, and 12 hours later he’s winning Olympic gold.
“Winning gold doesn’t change you – it opens doors. He deserves everything that’s coming his way.”
TNT Sports on discovery+ was the go-to destination in the UK to watch everything of Milano Cortina 2026 live all in one place, with over 850 hours of action from every sport, venue, and medal event.
