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Great Britain claimed a historic one-two at the skeleton World Championships as Matt Weston won gold for a second time.

Weston set a track record in Lake Placid, USA, on Friday as he held on to his overnight lead, while compatriot Marcus Wyatt secured silver.

Weston’s overall time from his four runs was three minutes 35.48 seconds, 1.90 seconds ahead of Wyatt, with Germany’s Axel Jungk a further 0.03 back in third.

It is the first time two British sliders have finished on the same podium at the Worlds and Weston becomes Britain’s first two-time world champion.

His previous gold came in 2023, but this year the 28-year-old has done the double having defended his overall World Cup title last month.

Wyatt, 33, was also second in the overall World Cup standings – his best finish – and has followed that up with his first Worlds medal.

Two heats took place on Thursday, with Weston posting the quickest time in each to hold the lead overnight with 1: 49.02 – 0.89 seconds ahead of Wyatt.

The temperature dropped overnight from 6C to -7C, making for a much faster track on Friday, and Weston took advantage during heat three to cut the track record from 52.87 to 52.80.

Wyatt dropped to third, narrowly behind Jungk, who trailed Weston by 1.65 seconds heading into the final heat.

But Wyatt produced a final run of 53.88 to go back in front of Jungk, before Weston held his nerve with 53.66 to clinch victory.

Guinness Men’s Six Nations: Scotland v Wales

Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 8 March Kick-off: 16: 45 GMT

It will all change on Saturday when the pipes skirl and the passion rises and the Scotland team bus pulls into view, but this has been the lowest of low-key build-ups to a Six Nations game at Murrayfield for quite some time.

There’s a twisted logic around the visiting fans, their team bottom of the table and winless in 15, feeling better about themselves than the hosts, but there you have it – the Six Nations in all its complex glory.

Wales, without a victory since Tom Jones was in short pants, are coming to Edinburgh with a pulse after a fine performance against Ireland. Matt Sherratt, the interim head coach, has applied the defibrillator and the patient is now showing signs of life.

They’re coming to a rugby country that has had the energy sucked out of it with that late loss in Twickenham, which followed on from the spirit-sapping defeat by Ireland at Murrayfield, which obliterated their Six Nations hopes.

Maybe that’s why Finn Russell, as opposed to Scotland’s other co-captain Rory Darge, did media on Friday. Maybe Scottish Rugby felt they needed some stardust, a galvanising presence to fire up the fans and convince them that, yes, the championship bid is over, but yes again, there is something big to play for here.

The ‘ something big ‘ is back-foot stuff, though. They’re playing to avoid a nightmare rather than to keep a dream alive. Their motivation is to avert the horror show of one win from four with a trip to Paris to come and the grand inquisition of the coaches that would come with it.

Scottish heads are done in. Scotland are ranked number one in the tournament for fewest tries conceded, fewest tackles missed and most ball carries, number two for metres gained, line breaks, breakdown steals and tries scored.

And yet they sit fourth in the table and are already out of contention for the big prize.

Still we hear the mumbo-jumbo from former players in other places about Scotland supposedly talking themselves up. During the week, the great Welsh and Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips joined the list of people who don’t understand Scottish rugby and the fatalism that has run through it for close to a quarter of a century.

Phillips said the Scots have been predicting Six Nations glory for 20 years, a comment so remarkable that people here will remember it in the way they remember where they were when they heard Elvis had died.

(Younger readers: swap Taylor Swift for Elvis and replace ‘ died ‘ with ‘ releasing a new album ‘ or some such revelation).

None of this phony war stuff in the media is going to permeate Scotland’s bubble in any meaningful way. They know what’s at stake here – not a championship tilt, but credibility and, possibly, the future of Gregor Townsend.

Scottish Rugby is under relatively new management and there will be a deep reluctance to change the international coaching ticket even if the Wales game goes wrong, but defeat would bring howls of protest from fans.

Scotland have won 18 out of 38 in the Six Nations on Townsend’s watch. They’ve lost two games by a single point – one game by two points, one by three and two by four.

Ten Six Nations matches have been lost by seven points or fewer – including two in 2020 and 2021 (they won the other three) and three in 2024 (they won the other two). What-might-have-beens are writ large over his regime.

Refereeing decisions have been unkind at crucial moments, but in eight attempts Scotland have not gone into the final weekend with a realistic shot at the title.

They have advanced under Townsend’s coaching, though. Anybody saying otherwise is allowing their disappointment to overtake their perspective. Scotland in full flow are a thrillfest, just not a consistent one.

There’s a reason why Scotland have not contended. The talk of their golden generation is about as misplaced as the chat about them bigging themselves up.

For sure, this is probably the most talented backline Scotland has ever produced, but in no way is it among the most talented pack of forwards.

But not in Wales. There is nothing superior about this Welsh team in the pack or behind the pack and that’s why Townsend won’t be cut any slack if Scotland don’t win.

No allowances will be made for the injured Sione Tuipulotu, no nuance will be applied because Scott Cummings, Max Williamson, Andy Onyeama-Christie and Josh Bayliss are unavailable.

This is a should-win because Townsend’s team look stronger in most positions, have won the past two against Wales and have home advantage, but it’s also a must-win.

Townsend can’t hope to avoid heavy flak, or a serious examination of the way of things by his bosses, if his team goes from three wins in 2023 to two wins in 2024 to (possibly) one win in 2025. That would suddenly look like a dead end.

By the skin of their teeth, and the width of a goalpost, the bookmakers were proven right when they made England favourites at Twickenham. They’re now making Scotland overwhelming, almost unbackable, favourites on Saturday.

According to the bookies, Wales don’t have much of a prayer and that kind of status will suit them nicely. No-hopers? Diolch.

They’re not the only ones with points to prove, though. That wasteful loss to England has sickened Scotland to their core and you can imagine them nursing that frustration for a fortnight. They should be two from three.