Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

First skeleton test race on controversial new Olympic sliding track won by Weston

[byline]

First skeleton test race on controversial new Olympic sliding track won by Weston | iNFOnews.ca
A night view of the Eugenio Monti sliding track during a three day skeleton and bobsled World Cup stage and Olympic test event in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Original Publication Date: November 21, 2025 5:21AM
Publication Updated: November 21, 2025 1:16PM

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The first official test race on the controversial sliding track being rebuilt for the Milan Cortina Olympics was won by skeleton world champion Matt Weston of Britain on Friday.

Weston beat European champion Samuel Maier of Austria by 0.15 seconds after two runs in the head-first discipline down the Eugenio Monti track.

It was also the opening skeleton World Cup of the Olympic season.

Yin Zheng of China finished third, 0.18 behind, after setting the first track record at 56.79 seconds in his opening run.

Junior world champion Lukas Nydegger of Germany achieved his best World Cup result in fourth, missing the podium by 0.05.

The top American finisher was Austin Florian in 10th while Cortina native Mattia Gaspari led host Italy in 17th.

In the women’s event, Jaqcueline Pfeifer claimed her first World Cup win in almost five years. The three-time World Cup overall winner was 0.23 ahead of German teammate and Olympic champion Hannah Neise.

Kim Meylemans of Belgium finished 0.32 behind in third.

Also, the British duo of Tabitha Stoecker and Marcus Wyatt won the mixed team event that will make its Olympic debut this season.

Bobsled races are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

While the competitive part of the track in Cortina is ready, surrounding areas are still being constructed and no spectators were allowed in for the test event.

The International Olympic Committee didn’t want millions to be spent rebuilding the track in Cortina, which closed in 2008 due to rising maintenance costs. The IOC suggested holding sliding events for these Games in nearby Austria or Switzerland instead.

But the Italian government pushed ahead anyway and is spending 118 million euros ($136 million) remaking the venue.

The Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 6-22.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

First skeleton test race on controversial new Olympic sliding track won by Weston | iNFOnews.ca
South Korean skeleton athlete Jung Seunggi, right, has a photo taken in front of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics countdown clock, in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles