As Team GB prepares to compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics this week, there is a palpable sense of optimism that this could be a historic games for British athletes. The squad is targeting a medal haul of between four and eight, which would surpass the nation's best-ever tally of five medals achieved at both the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics.
High Expectations After Disappointing Previous Games
Following a somewhat disappointing performance four years ago, Team GB arrives in Italy with renewed determination and several genuine medal prospects across multiple disciplines. The increased expectations bring both pressure and confidence to athletes who have been performing consistently at world-class levels in recent seasons.
Skeleton Stars Lead British Charge
Matt Weston, the two-time world champion in skeleton and three-time Crystal Globe winner, represents perhaps Britain's strongest gold medal hope. As the current dominant force in his sport, Weston acknowledges the different pressure that comes with being the favourite rather than an outside chance.
"Last time we were going in as outside chances, but this time going in as favourite adds a lot of pressure," Weston explains. "But it adds a lot of confidence - it's not just a one-off season. It's been an amazing few years. There's definitely pressure, but I kind of like it."
His teammate Marcus Wyatt, currently ranked third in the world, provides Britain with another strong skeleton contender. Weston expresses some frustration that skeleton only receives significant public attention during Olympic years, despite being what he describes as a "cool sport" where athletes travel headfirst at speeds approaching 90mph down ice tracks worldwide.
Curling Team Eyes Gold Redemption
Following Eve Muirhead's curling team finally securing gold in Beijing, the spotlight now falls on Bruce Mouat's men's team, who enter as double world champions and current world number ones. After claiming silver four years ago, anything less than gold would represent a disappointment for the Scottish skip and his teammates.
"I think that's where we are at in my career," Mouat tells Sky News. "The boys and I have done a lot of really good things over the last 18 months. We're world number one for over a year now. It's new territory for a team to be this dominant. It's about what we can do over the next month to bring home that gold."
Multiple Medal Prospects Across Disciplines
Britain's medal hopes extend well beyond skeleton and curling:
- Figure Skating: Ice dance partnership Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, as world and European bronze medallists, aim to secure Britain's first ice skating medal since Torvill and Dean's iconic performance 42 years ago.
- Freestyle Skiing: Zoe Atkin and Kirsty Muir represent strong contenders in big air and slopestyle skiing events.
- Snowboarding: Mia Brookes, who achieved seven podium finishes in 2025, hopes to convert her X Games success into Olympic glory in the snowboard slopestyle.
The Unique Challenges of Winter Sports
Weston highlights the particular mental and physical demands of skeleton, noting that most competitors have suffered injuries that would deter ordinary people from ever climbing on a sled again. "You have to be a certain type of person to get over that fear when you first start and you go down and you have no brakes," he explains, describing how athletes must embrace the inherent danger of racing down sheer ice without control mechanisms.
The opening ceremony takes place on Friday, but competition begins earlier with the mixed curling event on Wednesday, where Mouat and Jen Dodds will be among the favourites. While the podium opportunities appear promising for Team GB, the unpredictable nature of winter sports means unexpected contenders could emerge throughout the games.
