When Matt Weston woke up on Saturday morning, he immediately reached for his bedside drawer to check his most treasured possession was still there.
“I tucked it in there very safe, and then as soon as I woke up this morning I thought ‘is it still there? Is it a dream?” he said.
“It's been living inside a sock for the past couple of hours, because I haven't got the boxes yet from the medal ceremony.”
After all years of sacrifice, sweat and tears, it is always better to be sure – though hopefully it’s a clean pair of socks.
Olympic gold medals are rare, this being the 13th in Team GB’s Winter Games history, and especially ones won in such dominance as Weston achieved.
He wiped the floor with the rest of the field in Cortina and is now targeting a slice of Team GB history.
In Sunday’s mixed doubles, he could become the first athlete to win two medals at a single Winter Olympic Games – let alone two golds.
It’s why he toned down his Friday night celebrations, opting for three slices of margarita pizza in the Olympic Village’s 24-hour canteen and an early night.
In a sport nicknamed F1 on ice, it was a night notorious racing hell-raiser James Hunt would surely disapprove of. But win another medal in the mixed team event on Sunday and you can guarantee the afterparty will be far bigger.
“I think sometimes simple is better and they don't have to do anything crazy, so it was great actually,” he said during a round of media interviews less than 12 hours later.
“I didn't actually drink a thing, which some people might find surprising, but I've still got to keep my head on for the team race. God that's come round quick.
“Doing the individual is one thing, it feels absolutely amazing. But the chance to be a double Olympic champion, I think we have a pretty good chance.
“We're going to be one of the strongest set of teams out there.
“I think we can definitely take it to the rest of the nations, and hopefully come back with a few more bits of bling.”
Weston, 28, also revealed he has been shunning social media at these Games and has best friend Pat controlling his channels.
He has been using a burner phone in the meantime, but Pat has told him his regular device has been heating up with messages from all sorts.
Weston is unfazed by his new celebrity status. Since working with sports psychologist Tom Goodall, he has unlocked performance he knew he had but also the mental fortitude to focus and separate his professional and personal lives.
“I'm a massive advocate for anything to do with mental health and believe most people should be speaking to a psych,” he added.
“I think that it, no matter whether you feel fine or not, I think it's a great way of letting some emotions out.
“Competition Matt is very different to Matt at home. I'm a bit more of a performance animal, I'd say when it comes to sliding. Whereas like everyday Matt is a bit more chilled, laid back, just having a good time.
“Being able to combine those, learn how Matt at home works versus Matt at the competition works, because they're all very, very interlinked.”
The results are there for all to see. He is the reigning world champion and wiped the floor with the rest of the world on the World Cup circuit, winning five of seven events.
He continued: “When you first start working with psychologists, you dig into things that are quite tough sometimes. But I’m the other side, now I've started working with them for a few years.
“I'm so open with my coaches. I was saying to my coach, I feel a bit nervous today.
“Some races I feel like I can't eat in the mornings. I feel sick. And my coaches know that and they know how I operate and they're able to adapt and get the most out of me, no matter how I'm feeling from, from the work that I've been doing with psychologists.
“I've been working quite a lot with him over the past few weeks, just to make sure I'm in the best position coming into this.
“He’s someone that's great at accepting new challenges. I mean, he's got the most out of someone who goes head first down an ice track at 80 miles an hour. So I think he'll be all right with whatever he does after this.”
So, you suspect, will Weston. His journey to Cortina has been far from smooth and far from conventional.
He tried his hand – and feet – at taekwondo but fractured his back while performing a kick during a match, at just 17.
He was also a budding rugby player in the Saracens academy but they were unconvinced he would ever have full use of his legs following the injury.
Thankfully he decided to throw himself down an ice track with his chin inches from the ground instead of a more conventional life instead.
“I'd love to be able to be one of those people that inspires the next generation”, he said.
“At the moment we have a talent ID program running through British Skeleton.
“So, if anyone fancies going head first down the track at 80 miles an hour, then definitely get in touch through the BBSA [British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association] because our doors open at the moment.”
After Friday night, you suspect plenty will.
Sportsbeat 2026