In an exhilarating display of skill and speed, Great Britain’s Skeleton World Champion Matt Weston seized his first win of the season at the third race of the 2023/2024 BMW IBSF World Cup held in Innsbruck. Demonstrating his championship pedigree, Weston, who was last year’s overall World Cup runner-up, recorded the fastest run times in both heats in Innsbruck, Austria. This victory marks Weston’s seventh top finish in the World Cup series, with three of these wins being clinched in Innsbruck.
Close behind, Seunggi Jung from Korea showcased his prowess on the icy track, securing second place with a marginal 0.15-second gap. The event also saw a triumphant return to form for Germany’s Felix Keisinger, who finished third, lagging by 0.32 seconds. This podium finish is Keisinger’s first since November 2020 and his fifth in the BMW IBSF World Cup, a significant achievement considering his previous best was in Sigulda, Latvia.
While the international athletes shone, the host nation Austria found its best result in Samuel Maier, who finished a respectable eleventh.
In the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024, the leaderboard has seen some interesting shifts. Seunggi Jung now leads the pack with 627 points, closely followed by Olympic Champion Christopher Grotheer from Germany, who stands second with 609 points after finishing fifth in Innsbruck. Matt Weston, with his recent victory, has propelled himself into the third position, accumulating 579 points.
This season’s BMW IBSF World Cup is already shaping up to be a thrilling contest with top athletes from around the globe vying for supremacy in one of the most challenging and exhilarating winter sports. The competition continues to be fierce, with each race bringing unexpected turns and showcasing the incredible skill and dedication of these world-class skeleton athletes.