Gold medallists Matt Weston and Charlotte Bankes have been officially named as Team GB's flagbearers for the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics, a prestigious honour recognising their historic achievements at the Games.
Historic Performances Earn Flagbearing Roles
Matt Weston has emerged as the standout star of these Winter Olympics, securing his place in British sporting history. He became the first British man ever to win skeleton gold, then followed this remarkable feat with a second gold medal in the mixed team event alongside teammate Tabby Stoecker.
These two Olympic titles establish Weston as the most successful British male Winter Olympian in recorded history. His second gold came during what has been dubbed 'Super Sunday', a day of exceptional performances for Team GB.
Bankes' Remarkable Comeback to Gold
Four-time Olympian Charlotte Bankes experienced the agony of a quarter-final exit in the individual snowboard cross event, but demonstrated incredible resilience by bouncing back to secure her first Olympic gold. She achieved this alongside partner Huw Nightingale in another mixed team event.
This victory marked a significant milestone as Britain's first ever Olympic gold medal on snow, breaking new ground for winter sports in the United Kingdom.
Emotional Reactions from the Athletes
Bankes expressed her emotions about the flagbearing honour, stating: "To be asked to carry the flag is a dream come true and feels like a moment for our entire snowboard cross team. We have made history for our sport, and I will be walking out there carrying it for everyone who has been part of that journey."
She added: "I am so proud to be part of Team GB and I hope the past few weeks encourage the British public and the next generation to see a glimpse of what is possible in winter sport."
Weston echoed these sentiments, saying: "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. I'm very proud to be part of such a talented team - one that I hope has inspired lots of people back home."
Team GB's Record-Breaking Performance
The Closing Ceremony will take place on Sunday in the Arena of Verona from 7.30pm GMT. Team GB departs Milano-Cortina having achieved their best-ever performance at a Winter Olympics.
The British team amassed five medals overall, equalling the totals from Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018. However, the quality of these medals represents a significant improvement, with three gold medals far outstripping the single gold achieved in both previous Games.
Additional Medal Successes
Bruce Mouat's men's curling rink contributed to the medal haul with a silver, narrowly losing to Canada in the final. Zoe Atkin added a final medal to the collection with bronze in Sunday's women's half-pipe final.
Atkin's bronze medal helped Team GB achieve a record 24 top-10 finishes in a single Games, representing a substantial improvement of 15 places over their next best performance in Sochi.
Near-Misses and Strong Performances
Britain also recorded a record five fourth-place finishes, highlighting both the successes and near-misses of these Games. Several athletes came agonisingly close to podium positions, including freeskier Kirsty Muir who finished just off the podium twice, snowboarder Mia Brookes, mixed doubles curlers Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds, and the second British pair of Freya Tarbit and Marcus Wyatt in the mixed skeleton event.
These performances demonstrate the growing depth and competitiveness of British winter sports, suggesting a bright future for Team GB in upcoming Winter Olympic competitions.
