26 January 2023 , 18:29
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Matt Weston broke the St Moritz track record to lead the Skeleton World Championships by more than a second at the halfway point.
A week after becoming European champion the former rugby player was again the class act in his attempt to give Britain her first men’s world winner since Kristan Bromley 15 years ago.
Bromley, currently working with the Dutch team, said: “Matt’s absolutely on fire, he’s in the zone at the moment.”
Weston clocked a time of 2 minutes 13.96 seconds across the first two of four heats, setting a 1.06.88 track record on his second run at the spiritual home of sliding.
The 25-year old leads Italy’s Amedeo Bagnis by 1.13secs with Marcus Wyatt third, a further 17 hundredths of a second back.
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A third Brit, Craig Thompson, is fifth with reigning double world champion Christopher Grotheer only ninth.
Former Sevenoaks rugby wing Weston won European Championships in Altenberg last week (Viesturs Lacis Rekords)“Matt’s pushing extremely fast, has a good coaching team, good equipment and a wise head on his shoulders,” Bromley added.
“I know what it takes for a British athlete without a track to achieve at this level and I’ll be feel extremely proud if one of them wins.”
In the women's event Laura Deas lies 10th and Brogan Crowley 19th at the midpoint.
Britain have only ever won two men’s world medals, Adam Pengilly’s silver in Lake Placid in 2009 coming a year after Bromley triumphed in Altenberg.
Shelley Rudman and Lizzy Yarnold won back to back golds for Britain at the 2013 and 2015 Worlds respectively.