Marcus Wyatt is crowned European Champion as Bath-based British Skeleton athletes win full house of continental medals
University of Bath-based British Skeleton athletes won gold, silver and bronze during a fantastic Friday at the IBSF European Championships in Sigulda, Latvia.
Marcus Wyatt was the top European finisher in the men’s World Cup race, finishing runner-up to China’s Zheng Yin to be crowned as continental champion and secure the first major title of his career.
Team-mate and defending champion Matt Weston finished third overall, meaning he added European silver to the gold he claimed 12 months ago.
Jacob Salisbury went close to completing a British clean sweep of medals as he finished fourth in the European standings and seventh overall.
The afternoon saw Amelia Coltman build on last week’s personal best sixth-placed finish by coming home an excellent fourth in the women’s World Cup race, meaning she won a brilliant bronze in the European Championships by one-hundredth of a second from double Olympian Janine Flock of Austria.
A brilliant day for 🇬🇧 Skeleton gets even better as @acoltman wins @IBSFsliding European Championship 🥉 in 🇱🇻 👏 pic.twitter.com/vToC3mmNdM
— British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (@The_BBSA) February 2, 2024
Wyatt and Weston’s medal success marks only the second time two British men have shared a European Championship podium since Kristin Bromley and Adam Pengilly won gold and bronze respectively in 2008.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” said Wyatt. “To be able to call myself European Champion still hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It’s a dream come true and to keep it in the British programme after Matt won last year is extra special.
“I had a really good week of training and I knew going into the race that I had a good chance of doing well but to go and execute and come away as European champion is amazing.”
Athletes with the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association are based at the University of Bath, home to the UK’s only outdoor push-start track. They also do their strength and conditioning work at the Team Bath Sports Training Village. Click here to find out more.
