Tabby Stoecker was understandably emotional after winning a gold medal at her first Winter Olympics in the skeleton mixed team event with men’s individual champion Matt Weston. The pair improved on the silver medals they won at the last two World Championships, setting a track record of 1:59.36 after Weston overcame a 0.30-second deficit from Stoecker’s run to win by 0.17 seconds.

Weston continued his form from Friday night to become a double Olympic champion this weekend, a feat only two-time women’s skeleton winner Lizzy Yarnold has previously achieved. At the same time, the result represented a first major win for Stoecker, who joined British Skeleton through a talent identification programme called Discover Your Gold, and has done just that seven years later.

Speaking to the BBC before their medal ceremony, the 25-year-old wiped her right eye multiple times, such was the emotion in that moment. She said: “Thanks [Matt]. I can’t believe it. No, like, it’s a team effort, right? When Matt came down and we were in the green… I think I’m in shock!”

Weston added: “Luckily, I felt like I kind of knew what I needed to do. Yesterday – not yesterday, the day before, it’s all a bit of a whirlwind – when I had the individual event, I kind of took a load of confidence from that, and I just had to almost in my head be boring and get the job done. We’ve done it again!”

After receiving their medals, Stoecker said: “Being on the podium was everything that you dream of, but you’re not sure is going to happen. This morning, I woke up trying to stay present and make it better than yesterday. For this outcome, I am so, so happy.

“Our team is like family, and everybody has got each other’s back. To do this event with the five people representing GB in skeleton has made it so special. We have created so many memories that are going to last forever.”

Her teammate Amelia Coltman echoed those thoughts, saying: “It has been special. We have been building for this moment for the past three or four years. Our bond is very unique, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team.”

Weston also reflected: “Obviously, the individual medal has a special place in my heart, but now we’ve had the team race, this was another goal. I treated this as a five-heat race; I still had things I wanted to clean up from the individual race, I tried to do that today, tick the boxes, be boring and get it done.”

The impact Weston hopes their win has is simple: Inspiration. He recalled: “Coming into this sport, I had no idea where it was going to take me; nine years later, I am a double Olympic champion, which is crazy.

“The main message is to grab everything you can with two hands, any opportunity that comes. There are two of us standing here with gold medals, and hopefully, we’re inspiring the next generation of sliders.”