Team GB's Historic Winter Olympics Sunday: Gold Rush and Record Breakers
Britain celebrated its greatest day in Winter Olympic history on Sunday as records fell dramatically in Livigno and Cortina. The nation secured gold in both the mixed team snowboard cross and mixed team skeleton events, marking an unprecedented achievement for Team GB.
Unprecedented Gold Medal Haul
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale teamed up to claim mixed team snowboard cross gold, becoming the first ever British Olympic champions on snow. Shortly after, Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker followed with victory in the skeleton event.
These triumphs mean Great Britain has now won three gold medals within 48 hours at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Prior to this weekend, Britain had never won more than one gold medal at the same Winter Games.
Record-Breaking Performances
With his second gold medal of the Games, Matt Weston becomes the first athlete in British Winter Olympic history to win multiple medals at the same Olympics. This achievement makes him the most decorated British Winter Olympian of all time.
Team GB chef de mission Eve Muirhead expressed her delight at the historic performance. "It's incredible," Muirhead said. "We had a slightly slow start, we knew that, but we were patient, we kept the vibe up, we kept very positive because we knew we were going to have opportunities to come."
"Today, getting two gold medals is just incredible - the most we've ever had in British Winter Olympic history," Muirhead continued. "And for Matt being the most decorated British Winter Olympian of all time is something really special."
Overcoming Early Frustration
The double gold medal success has completely transformed the narrative around Team GB's performance. During the first week of the Games, frustration had mounted with three fourth-place finishes. Now, that disappointment has been obliterated by Sunday's historic achievements.
Ironically, despite the gold rush, Great Britain has also set a new record for the most fourth places at a single Winter Olympics. This occurred after Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit narrowly missed out on a skeleton team medal.
More Records Within Reach
Further records could be broken as Britain looks to equal or exceed the record five medals achieved at both the Sochi and Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2014 and 2018 respectively.
Several British athletes remain in strong contention for additional medals:
- Kirsty Muir has strong medal chances in ski slopestyle
- Zoe Atkin is a contender in ski halfpipe
- The men's curling team remains competitive
- The four-man bobsleigh squad is also in with a shout
The remarkable Sunday performance has not only rewritten British Winter Olympic history but has positioned Team GB for potentially their most successful Winter Games ever.
