Team GB Hit With Controversial Winter Olympics Ban As Item Deemed Illegal

Team GB were left disappointed after they were banned from using an item deemed to be illegal at the Winter Olympics.

The latest edition of the Games is taking place in Milan-Cortina, with the opening ceremony taking place at the iconic San Siro stadium on Friday and United States vice president JD Vance being subjected to boos.

Team GB have a strong presence at the event, with 53 athletes and two reserves competing in 11 disciplines.

One of those is skeleton, where participants dive head first onto a small sled and race down the same track used for bobsleigh and luge.

Controlled naturally by shifting body weight as opposed to any type of steering device, athletes can clock speeds of up to 80mph.

Those competing wear a hard helmet that covers the full face and these must be checked and approved beforehand.

However, there are strict restrictions in place regarding the helmets and the new design from Great Britain was not given the sign off by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) - who govern the sport.

The helmet from Team GB will not be in use. Image: Getty

Feeling as though it was in fact compliant, Team GB issued an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the verdict but were unsuccessful, as they felt the equipment did not meet the requirements as it "departs from the standard shape and reflects a novel design specifically developed to enhance aerodynamic performance where the rear considerably protrudes".

The helmet had been used by the team during a pre-Olympics training session in Switzerland but instead, all participants will race in the same kit as the most recent World Cup campaign.

Reacting to the news, British skeleton performance director Natalie Dunman said: “Based on the strength of the case we put forward, naturally we are disappointed in today’s decision.

“However, this does not affect our final preparations and nor has the discourse affected the athletes’ focus or optimism going into the Games.

“Our athletes have been winning medals all season and throughout the Olympic cycle in their current helmets and we remain in a strong position to continue that trend.”

Matt Weston is one of Team GB's medal hopefuls in the discipline. Image: Getty

Training for the skeleton event kicks off on Monday, with the men's event beginning on Thursday.

The women's iteration gets underway a day later before team event takes place on Sunday. Even without the new helmet, Team GB have still been tipped to secure medals in the skeleton events, with world champion Matt Weston a leading contender for gold.