Cyclist Matt Richardson, a three-time Olympic medallist at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games, has been banned for life from representing Australia after opting to join the Great Britain team. The decision was announced by AusCycling, which claimed that the 25-year-old had ‘violated the values of the federation, the Australian national team and the cycling community in general’. As a result, even if Richardson wishes to compete for his country again, that possibility is ruled out.
Born in England, Richardson moved to Australia at the age of nine. The Australian federation accused the cyclist and the International Cycling Union (UCI) of concealing the transfer until after the Paris-2024 Olympic Games.
During the Games, the track cycling specialist won three medals: silver in the individual sprint and in the keirin, as well as bronze in the team sprint. His change of nationality was only made official after the event ended, fuelling criticism of his ethical conduct and the impact on the Australian sporting community.