Britain’s Matt Weston, Belgium’s Kim Meylemans clinch World Cup skeleton season titles

By: The Associated Press Posted: 9:00 AM CST Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) — Britain's Matt Weston is the World Cup men's skeleton overall champion, again. And for the first time, Belgium's Kim Meylemans is the World Cup women's overall champion.

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ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) — Britain's Matt Weston is the World Cup men's skeleton overall champion, again. And for the first time, Belgium's Kim Meylemans is the World Cup women's overall champion.

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This article was published 16/01/2026 (263 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) — Britain’s Matt Weston is the World Cup men’s skeleton overall champion, again. And for the first time, Belgium’s Kim Meylemans is the World Cup women’s overall champion.

Locking up their status as favorites for Olympic gold at next month’s Milan Cortina Games, Weston and Meylemans clinched their seasonlong titles Friday in the final races of the World Cup season at Altenberg, Germany.

Meylemans was third in Friday’s women’s race, behind Germany’s Jacqueline Pfeifer and Susanne Kreher. That was more than enough to ensure Meylemans would end the season ahead of Pfeifer — a three-time World Cup overall champion — in the season standings, and Britain’s Tabitha Stoecker finished the season third.

Britain's Matt Weston races down the track, during the men's single, 1st run of the Skeleton World Cup, in Altenberg, Germany, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP)

Britain’s Marcus Wyatt won Friday’s men’s race and Weston finished in a three-way tie for second with German teammates Christopher Grotheer and Axel Jungk.

Weston took the overall title with China’s Zheng Yin second and Wyatt placing third.

The U.S. skeleton team won’t formally announce its Olympic team until Monday, but Friday’s finishes make it somewhat obvious that Kelly Curtis and Mystique Ro — the top two American women in the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation rankings — will be headed to the Milan Cortina Games.

Curtis was 17th on Friday, two spots ahead of U.S. teammate Sara Roderick and three spots ahead of Ro — who teamed with Austin Florian to win last year’s world mixed skeleton championship. Florian also is a likely Olympic team nominee and was 14th in Friday’s men’s race.

USA Bobsled and Skeleton was waiting for word from the IBSF if it was getting a second men’s Olympic quota spot as well.

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