‘Super Sunday’ raises hopes that Team GB can eclipse previous medal totals

Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale clinched the first ever snow gold with victory in the mixed team snowboard-cross, and five hours later, Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker won the mixed team skeleton.

It leaves Team GB with three golds after Weston’s win in the men’s skeleton on Friday – and raises hopes the final medal total will eclipse the five earned in Sochi and Pyeongchang respectively.

Kirsty Muir has a big chance in the women’s ski slopestyle final on Monday, and Zoe Atkin is a contender in the ski half-pipe next week. The men’s curlers and four-man bobsleigh crew also harbour realistic medal hopes.

A frustrating first week was obliterated on an extraordinary day in Livigno and Cortina this weekend. Having never previously won more than one gold medal at the same Winter Games, Team GB proceeded to clinch three within 48 hours.

Read more: Team GB's Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale triumph in historic snowboard cross final

Read more: Team GB win first medal at Winter Olympics after striking gold in men's skeleton

Team GB Chef de Mission Eve Muirhead said: “It’s incredible. (It was a) slightly slow start, we knew that, but we were patient, we kept the vibe up, we kept very positive because we knew we were going to have opportunities to come.

“Getting two gold medals was just incredible, the most we’ve ever had in British Winter Olympic history, and for Matt being the most decorated British Winter Olympian of all time is something really special.”

Weston, who had already won gold in the men's skeleton event, clawed back a 0.30-second deficit after Stoecker's run to claim victory for the pair.

With his second gold, Weston becomes the first athlete in British Winter Olympic history to win multiple medals at the same Games.

Following the triumph, Stoecker was quick to thank her partner for the win, telling reporters: "Thanks [Matt]. I can't believe it. It's a team effort and when Matt came down and we were in the green, I was just in shock.

"Weston added: "Luckily I felt like I knew what I needed to do. I took a load of confidence from the individual event and I almost had to 'be boring' to get the job done and do it again."

Weston and Stoecker's British teammates Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit finished just outside the medal places in fourth.

Meanwhile, Bankes and Nightingale’s thrilling ride to snowboard-cross gold made them the first ever British Olympic champions on snow.

Following their victory, Bankes said she was "lost for words".

"Huw put me in an amazing position, he's been riding extremely well and rode today to his full potential," she said.

"I was in that start gate, knowing I was going for gold."

Nightingale had set up Bankes perfectly to secure the gold after he crossed the line in second place behind France's Loan Bozzolo.

Bankes then used her speed on the board to take the lead and beat Italy's Michela Moioli to the line by 0.43 seconds.