Equipment blamed for Team GB’s dismal skeleton performances

Team GB’s skeleton equipment has been panned by slider Matt Weston and the 2014 Winter Olympic bronze medallist John Jackson after another dismal day in the Yanqing National Sliding Centre.

Britain have won a skeleton Olympic medal at every Games since 2002, including three in Pyeongchang four years ago – thanks in part to a huge advantage in helmet, skin suit and sled technology.

But they are certain to go away empty handed this time after a shocking performance in both the men’s and women’s event. On Friday Weston and Marcus Wyatt finished 15th and 16th in the men’s competition, more than four seconds behind Germany’s gold medal winner, Christopher Grotheer.

In the women’s competition Pyeongchang bronze medallist Laura Deas and Brogan Crowley were also well off the pace in their first two runs, ending up 21st and 22nd respectively of the 25 competitors. Deas is already 1.8 seconds behind leader Jaclyn Narracott of Australia.

Deas said: “It’s certainly not the outcome I wanted. I came to the start block in a great frame of mind. I can’t tell you now why the speed wasn’t there. We’re going to have to go back and look at all of it and try and come back stronger tomorrow.”

Jackson, who won bronze in the four-man bobsleigh in 2014 and is now commentating for the BBC, said it was the equipment – and not the sliders – that was to blame. “This is what we have seen with the British equipment, it’s just absolutely draining speed all the way down. That is the problem Laura had. It’s a problem we have seen with the guys as well. This has been the feature of their season. This experience isn’t going well. It is going to be a tough Games for British skeleton.”

Weston concurred, saying: “I think there’s quite a few questions that