Lizzy Yarnold was overcome with emotion after Matt Weston delivered Britain’s first medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics in style on Friday night
Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter and Connor O’Neill
08:59, 14 Feb 2026Updated 09:07, 14 Feb 2026
Clare Balding had to pause the BBC’s coverage (Image: BBC)
Lizzy Yarnold was reduced to tears as Clare Balding was forced to pause the BBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics after Matt Weston delivered Team GB’s first medal of the Games.
Weston didn’t just become the first British man to win a gold medal in the skeleton on Friday evening, but he also clinched his nation’s first gold since the women’s curling at the 2022 games in Beijing.
The British star claimed victory by a cumulative total of 0.88 seconds over his four runs, ahead of the German pair Alex Jungk and Christopher Grotheer, who took silver and bronze, respectively. The 28-year-old was understandably emotional as he spoke about what the achievement meant to him.
He told BBC Sport: “It means everything. It means a hell of a lot to me personally, I’ve worked so hard for this.
“But everyone back home – my fiance, my family, my friends, everyone who has sacrificed everything for this. I’ve missed funerals, birthdays, everything for this moment. It feels amazing.”
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Balding was joined in the BBC studio by Yarnold, who said: “Every single one of the four runs were absolute perfection. Incredibly impressive from Matt Weston.
“What stands out for me is each and every time Matt Weston stood at the start block, he was looking down the track, he excelled, he accelerated, he was so focused. I really can’t find the words to describe how incredibly impressed I am with his performance.”
Clare Balding had to pause the BBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics after Lizzy Yarnold broke down in tears
Shortly after speaking, however, Yarnold broke down in tears herself and put her hands over her face. Balding then stepped in to take over presenting while Yarnold collected herself.
The moment came after Weston was greeted by a surprise visitor in Anne, Princess Royal, moments after breaking a course record at the Cortina d’Ampezzo on Thursday afternoon.
Despite making a minor error early on, the reigning world champion finished in just 56.21 to set a new fastest time.
Princess Anne, Princess Royal, at the 2026 Winter Olympics(Image: (Julian Finney/Getty Images))
In the aftermath, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II was spotted speaking with him, while Yarnold gave her take.
She said: “I was wondering whether he was going to bow as soon as he came off the skeleton run. What an honour to meet Princess Anne, she’s such a fan of sport as well, so I’m really glad to see that she’s there.
“You are living within a bubble within the Olympic environment in the village, so you can choose almost to just tune into yourself and the track and the purity of it. It’s just numbers, it’s just a track. Do the best you can.”
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