Matt Antoine displays his bronze medal during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. It was the first Olympic medal in skeleton for the U.S. program in 12 years. (News file photo — Lou Reuter)

LAKE PLACID — USA Bobsled/Skeleton announced on Oct. 21 that two-time Olympian Matt Antoine was hired as the Head Coach of Performance for USA Skeleton.

“We are thrilled that Matt is returning to the team,” USABS CEO Aron McGuire said in a statement. “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 a men’s skeleton athlete, Antoine earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics, becoming the first U.S. men’s skeleton athlete in 12 years to win a medal. Antoine also finished 11th at the 2018 Olympic Games, while consistently ranking as the top men’s skeleton racer for Team USA throughout his career. He was also named to seven World Championship teams while earning nine World Cup medals.

Antoine announced his retirement from the sport after he won the U.S. selection races in Oct. 2018, but he still 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 as a development coach. He married Sheila Khayami in October 2020 and decided to take a step back to focus on building a career closer to home as a home inspector.

“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 welcomed their first child, Navid Khayami Antoine, on Sept. 1.

“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 was named on Oct. 6. The World Cup season will kick 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, with races on Dec. 16. Antoine said he 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.”