Marcus Wyatt won gold for Britain in Canada ©IBSF

Britain enjoyed a great start to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup season as Marcus Wyatt and Matt Weston won gold and bronze respectively in the men's skeleton event at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Canada, before Olympic champion Hannah Neise won the women's race.

Wyatt clocked a combined time of 1min 45.44sec to claim gold while South Korea’s Jung Seung-gi bagged silver in 1:45.45.

The bronze medal went to Weston, who completed two runs in 1:46.10.

Two British men made an IBSF World Cup podium for the first time since January 2008, when Anthony Sawyer and Adam Pengilly won silver and bronze in Cesana.

"It’s an amazing feeling! 

"To win gold for my country on World Cup is something I've dreamt of for a long time and it feels as good as I thought it would," said Wyatt.

"I put down two consistent runs and my starts were quick, too, so it’s exactly what I would have wanted at the start of the week.

"Training was a bit up and down but I was confident we could bring it together on race day.

"It’s a perfect way to start the new Olympic campaign to be honest.

"To win a medal with Matt makes the result even better as well.

"It’s only one result but I’m hoping it’s a sign of good things to come for me and for the team."

Olympic champion Hannah Neise won a World Cup race for the first time ©Getty Images
Olympic champion Hannah Neise won a World Cup race for the first time ©Getty Images

Germany's Neise went to win the women's skeleton contest for what is her first-ever World Cup victory.

The Olympic champion was second at the halfway stage, behind Hallie Clarke of the United States who made an impressive debut.

Neise overturned the deficit to claim the gold medal, while 18-year-old Clarke shared second place with Briton Brogan Crowley.

Both had a combined time of 1:47.58, 0.18sec off the pace of Neise.