20 January 2023 , 09:24
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Britain’s Skeleton stars considered quitting after picking the bones out of their Beijing Olympic horror show.
Matt Weston and Laura Deas made the stark admission ahead of today’s European Championships in Germany.
The pair were part of a four-strong team charged with maintaining the sport’s reputation as an Olympic medal factory for Britain.
Skeleton had amassed seven in the previous five Games, including every winter gold won by Britain since 2002.
That run came to a shuddering halt in China where Team GB’s kit let them down and their four sliders slipped into oblivion.
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But nobody on high admitted it was the sleds that were to blame, leaving the fast-starting, slow-finishing athletes to cop the flak.
Weston triumphed last week in Altenberg - venue for today's European Championships (Viesturs Lacis Rekords)“It took a long time to come to terms with what happened in Beijing, unpack it and decide whether or not to carry on in the sport," said Deas, the 2018 bronze medallist.
“So much of Skeleton is mental, you need a certain amount of inner bravado to continually throw yourself down the run and put yourself in risky positions.
“My confidence took such a hit that I genuinely didn’t know if I was any good at the sport any more.”
Laura Deas in action at Yanqing during last year's Beijing Winter Olympics
(PA)Weston experienced the same dark thoughts, a far cry from the golden memories created by Amy Williams and Lizzy Yarnold at previous Games.
“You doubt yourself, you have that conversation in your head of do I want to still do this,” he said. “It was very, very hard emotionally.
“We all felt the disappointment but it’s extra tough when you are the face of it and people associate those results directly with you.
Deas: “It took a long time to come to terms with what happened in Beijing and decide whether or not to carry on in the sport" (Getty Images)“Now, with the results we’ve had this year it’s clear, beyond any doubt, it was the equipment that let us down.”
Coming away from Beijing a programme funded to the tune of £6.4 million across the Olympic cycle was in danger of fracturing.
“My husband was surprised I still had any desire to be involved to be honest,” Deas admitted. “That I could keep finding it within myself to come back.”
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Deas: "My husband was surprised I still had any desire to be involved"Her pride would not let it end on such a note and with only £1.7m of funding cut, bosses replacing the kit and hiring legends Martins Dukurs and Matthias Guggenberger to the coaching staff, she joined Weston, Marcus Wyatt and Brogan Crowley in recommitting.
Their decision is already paying dividends with a team haul of eight medals this season topping the total for the last Olympic cycle.
Weston has two World Cup wins, Wyatt one, with medals for both women too. Down and out in Beijing, the Brits are back up among the favourites in Altenberg today.