Team GB cyclist who won three medals at Paris Olympics handed lifetime ban for ‘secretly’ changing nationality

Australia has criticized a British track cyclist for changing sides and concealing the contentious decision.

In the green and gold of Australia, Matthew Richardson won three medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics: sprint silver, keirin silver, and team sprint bronze.

However, he joined Team GB after the competition and even competed in the UCI Track Champions League in France over the weekend.

Born in Maidstone, Richardson moved to Perth with his family when he was nine years old.

However, he is the partner of Emma Finucane, a British cycling speed queen.

Nevertheless, Richardson’s actions were thoroughly investigated by AusCycling, which concluded that his behavior went against the principles of both the Australian national team and the larger cycling community.

According to their review, British Cycling backed Richardson’s request that the UCI, the world cycling organization, postpone the official announcement of his change in nationality until after the Olympics.

They claim that before leaving for the French city, he kept his decision a secret from AusCycling, his teammates, and important stakeholders.

Additionally, when Richardson moved to the Manchester cycling headquarters after the Games, AusCycling accused him of requesting to remove their property, including a bespoke bike, cockpit, and Olympic race outfit.

According to the Australians, this constituted an intolerable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property.

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According to AusCycling, Richardson is not allowed to use any of their resources and will never be able to rejoin the Australian cycling squad.

The 25-year-old sprinter Richardson intends to represent Britain throughout 2025 in order to eventually earn a spot in his birth nation at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The two-year non-competition ban that Richardson’s athlete’s membership agreement had specified was declared legally unenforceable.

When SunSport contacted British Cycling, they declined to comment.

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