Melton sports star Amelia Coltman retires months after achieving her Winter Olympics dream

The decision comes five months after she raced to a top 10 finish at the Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina.

The 30-year-old is retiring nine years after she first swapped tennis for Skeleton and with just shy of 75 international races to her name.

She won the country’s second female World Cup gold since 2015 when she took top spot in PyeongChang in November 2024 and her last season saw her help GB to a maiden Overall World Cup title in the team event.

Her career began in historic fashion when she became the first Brit to take the Europa Cup title in their maiden season of competitive sliding in 2019/2020, while her European Championship bronze in 2024 was GB’s first female continental championship medal for nine seasons.

Amelia got married to her long-term partner, Harry, just a few weeks ago at at St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, in Melton.

Her immediate plans centre around spending time with friends and family, while continuing with her regular school visits and acting as an athlete mentor at the 2026 National School Games Finals this summer.

She begins a PGCE in Physical Education at Loughborough University in September as she seeks to fulfil her long-term goal of making sport an inclusive place for all, while also giving others the opportunity to achieve their potential and their sporting dreams in the same way that she has.

On her retirement, Amelia said: “My dream growing up was always to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games, and achieving that goal at Milano Cortina 2026 was everything I hoped it would be.

“It feels like the right time to step away and I'm very excited for the next chapter of my life and the new challenges it will present.

"I feel content with my career and I’m sure in a few years’ time I will look back and be very proud of what I achieved."

Amelia’s family has a strong sporting pedigree – dad, Gary, is a Commonwealth Games cycling bronze medallist from 1986, and mum Theresa cycled in the women’s Tour de France.

Both of them were in Italy with other family and friends to see their daughter’s dream come true representing her country in the Winter Olympics.

“There are so many memories from my nine years in skeleton and I’ve experienced countless amazing opportunities, but the overwhelming sense of pride walking into the opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics will be something that sticks with me forever,” said Amelia, a former pupil of Melton’s St Francis Primary School.

“Competing at those Olympics Games in front of my family was obviously a huge highlight, as was winning my two European Championship medals.

"My World Championship debut was a massive highlight for me as I produced some of my best sliding to finish sixth and it was the first time my husband Harry had ever seen me slide!

"Winning my first gold medal for Great Britain and winning the EC title in my debut year of competition were also very special moments where I really surprised myself.

“When I first trialled fort the team, if you had told me I was going to win 22 International medals for Great Britain, including World Cup golds and European championship podiums, and get to compete at the Olympics, I would have thought you were talking about someone else! Just representing Great Britain is a huge honour that not many people get to experience, so standing on several podiums has been an unbelievable privilege.”

Signing off from the sport, Amelia added: “A huge thank you also has to go to my parents, who have never stopped believing in me and have always been so selfless in providing me with countless opportunities to pursue sport to a high level. The same to my husband, Harry, for being my rock, supporting me through the highs and lows and allowing me to chase my dreams - without you I wouldn’t have achieved half of what I have.

“A massive thank you to my sponsors, Andy at Metaltek, Homewood, and Sonal at AptusPT, for standing by me and helping me achieve my dream. I appreciate everything you have contributed to my journey.

“And finally, to everyone who has shown support throughout my career, whether that’s a message, a hug or donating to my fundraising campaign when I first started out, thank you for your kindness and generosity - it has meant the world to me.”

British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association (BBSA) executive performance director, Natalie Dunman, commented: “Amelia should be incredibly proud of her skeleton career and the impact she has had, both on and off the ice.

“She leaves the sport as an Olympian, a World Cup winner and a multiple European Championship medalist. She created history early on in her career with her Europa Cup success, and again with her European Championship bronze in 2024, and she has undoubtedly left a mark on skeleton in this country.

“Amelia’s professionalism and high standards have been an asset to the whole team, and the way in which she battled back from injury is a mark of her character, and I’m pleased that she was able to fulfil her dream of competing at an Olympic Games before calling time on her skeleton career. Winning the Overall World Cup team title last season was another really positive performance to end on.

“While we’re sad to see her leave, we know that the start of a new Olympic cycle is a good time for individual athletes and the programme to move in a new direction and we’re confident that those athletes who step up will make the most of the opportunity.”