Lake Placid, N.Y. (October 21, 2022) – USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS) today announced that 2014 Olympic bronze medalist Matt Antoine has accepted the position of USA Skeleton Head Coach of Performance.

“We are thrilled that Matt is returning to the team,” said USABS CEO Aron McGuire. “Matt set the standard for excellence when he competed, and he consistently surpassed those standards season after season. After a couple of years away from the ice, we are so excited to welcome him back.”

During his career as an athlete, Antoine was Team USA’s top-ranked men’s skeleton racer, finishing third at the 2014 Olympics and 11th in 2018. His 2014 medal was the first for a U.S. men’s skeleton athlete in 12 years. Antoine was also named to seven World Championship teams, and won nine World Cup medals.

Antoine announced his retirement after winning the U.S. selection races in Oct. 2018, but he knew that he wanted to remain involved. 

“Even though I know competing isn’t right for me anymore, I still feel like I have a lot to give to the sport,” Antoine said when he retired. “I want to be involved, even if it’s in a different capacity.”

Antoine spent two seasons working with athletes at various levels in their careers as a development coach. He married Sheila Khayami in Oct. 2020, and decided to take a step back to focus on building a career closer to home as a home inspector. Antoine always considered returning to the ice, and he said the time away was beneficial.

“After nearly 20 years in the sport as an athlete and coach, the time away gave me my first opportunity to really reflect on my own experiences,” Antoine said. “I was able to see from a new perspective the things I love most about skeleton. I also had the chance to give more attention to areas of my life that were on hold for so long. I couldn’t be more excited to have welcomed my son into the world just seven weeks ago!”

Antoine and Khayami recently welcomed their first child, Navid Khayami Antoine, on Sept. 1, 2022. 

“With a rejuvenated passion to be involved again, I’m excited to be back with Team USA,” Antoine said. “The program has a lot of potential to build a winning model and return to the podium in the coming years. We have a lot of work ahead, but with the right people in place and athletes ready to get to work, I’m confident we will get there.”

Antoine said he’s looking forward to being back in the mix, especially since he will have the opportunity to work alongside Director of Skeleton Programs Eric Bernotas. 

“Eric is someone that I’ve always respected greatly in the sport and know that his experiences over the past years can have a huge impact on our team,” Antoine said. 

The 2022-2023 USA Skeleton National Team has been named, and the World Cup season kicks off next month in Whistler, Canada before returning to home ice for the first time since the pandemic. The team will compete in Park City, Utah on Dec. 1, and will wrap up the first half of the season in Lake Placid, N.Y. with races on Dec. 16. Antoine said wouldn’t be able to be on the road without the full support of his family.

“My wife is the real MVP here,” Antoine said. “She is all in on this as well and there is no way I could be making this return without her full support, encouragement, and sacrifice.”

For media inquiries, please contact USABS Chief Executive Officer Aron McGuire at aron.mcguire@usabs.com.  

About USA Bobsled/Skeleton

USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS), based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. For more information, please visit the USABS website at www.usabs.com. Individuals interested in becoming a bobsled or skeleton athlete can visit www.usabobsledskeleton.com. 

 

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