Freya Tarbit ready to kick off Olympic campaign alongside best mates
Freya Tarbit will begin her first Olympic campaign on Friday, February 13, 2026 (ET), lining up for Britain in the skeleton event in Milano Cortina alongside two teammates who are also her closest friends. The 25-year-old arrives in Cortina with momentum and high hopes after recent World Cup and European Championship success.
Friends on the start line
Tarbit has forged a close personal and professional bond with teammates Tabby Stoecker and Amelia Coltman, a dynamic that she says has been vital through long winters away from home. "We’re so fortunate, " she said. "Mills [Amelia] and Tabby are my best friends. We spend all of our time together throughout the winter and then we chose to be together in the summer. It makes such a difference. " The trio even took a holiday to Croatia in July 2025, underlining how tightly knit the group has become.
Training form in Cortina
After four training runs in Cortina, Tarbit sat 11th overall, 0. 7 seconds behind the training leader. She posted two strong fourth-place finishes on her opening runs but slipped back on the second day. Stoecker was second in the training standings and Coltman made a late charge to third after faster third and fourth runs. Training sessions do not count for medals, but they often offer an early indication of how competition lanes might play out.
Remarkable comeback from injury
Tarbit’s path to the Olympics has included a dramatic recovery from a serious hamstring injury two years ago. In a striking turnaround she won a World Cup gold just 137 days after surgery — a result that highlighted both her physical resilience and mental toughness. That victory, and subsequent podium finishes, have helped cement her place on the Olympic team and provided confidence heading into her debut Games.
Mixed team event adds fresh opportunity
The mixed team skeleton event, which Tarbit has tasted success in with a recent European Championship bronze, will make its Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026. That format gives Tarbit and her teammates an additional route to contention and plays to the strength of Britain’s close-knit squad, where collaboration and shared experience can be decisive in head-to-head, combined-score formats.
Balancing awe and focus
For Tarbit, an Olympics is equal parts spectacle and high-stakes competition. "It’s exciting because it’s my first-ever time doing this, " she said. "There’s part of it that is just enjoying it and taking it all in your stride, but there is also a part of it remaining locked in because it is still a competition and you can’t lose sight of the end goal. " Her remarks reflect the dual challenge for many debutants: soak up the atmosphere without letting it distract from performance goals.
What to watch
All eyes will be on how Tarbit and her close friends manage the pressure of Olympic competition and whether their camaraderie translates into podium finishes. With a recent European medal in the mixed team and a rapid post-surgery World Cup win on her record, Tarbit has both form and a compelling personal narrative as she steps onto the Olympic stage for the first time.
