Former Australian cyclist Matthew Richardson banned for life by Cycling Australia

An Olympic medallist has been told he is not welcome in Australia cycling again after a deceptive act just before his shock post Paris Olympic defection to Great Britain.

British track cyclist Emma Finucane and Australian track cyclist Matt Richardson pose with their medals at the conclusion of the Paris Olympic Games.

Australian cycling defector Matthew Richardson will never wear the green and gold again after being banned for life by AusCycling.

In a major development, Richardson’s integrity has come under heavy fire by AusCycling with the revelation he tried to take Australian Cycling team property including a custom bike, cockpit, and Olympic race suit to Great Britain.

Richardson stunned the cycling world when in the wake of claiming two silver medals and a bronze medal in track cycling at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, the 25-year-old announced he was joining Great Britain – where he was born and lived until the age of nine before moving to Western Australia.

The controversial decision sparked a chorus of backlash against Richardson, prompting AusCycling to launch an exhaustive review into the timeline of when and how he made the decision to announce a change of nationality from Australia to Great Britain following the Olympic Games in Paris.

Australian Matthew Richardson during race 1 at the 2024 Olympics. Picture: Michael Klein

The review, which involved a thorough investigation of Richardson’s actions, has determined he acted in a way which conflicted with the values of AusCycling, the Australian National Team and the broader cycling community.

In a strongly worded statement, AusCycling announced key findings from the review include:

“Richardson requested that the world cycling body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, delay official disclosure of his nationality change until after the Olympic Games. This request was supported by British Cycling.

“He also withheld news of his decision from AusCycling, his teammates, and key stakeholders prior to the Games.

“After the Games, but before announcing his decision, Richardson asked to take AusCycling property including a custom bike, cockpit, and Olympic race suit to Great Britain. This represented an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property.

“As a result of the review, AusCycling has imposed the following sanctions:

“Richardson will not be eligible to rejoin the Australian Cycling Team at any point in the future.

“He is also prohibited from using any resources associated with the Australian Cycling Team or its partners.

Australian Matthew Richardson hugs his family after being beaten in the final but winning silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. Picture: Michael Klein

“Richardson will be ineligible for any AusCycling-related awards, effective immediately.”

AusCycling were so incensed by Richardson’s actions they “investigated the imposition of a two-year non-competition clause as outlined in Richardson’s athlete’s membership agreement, but such a ban was deemed legally unenforceable.”

Under UCI international transfer guidelines Richardson was banned from competing for Great Britain at the recent Track World Championships, but he will be eligible to compete for his new country early next year.

“These decisions underscore AusCycling’s adherence to the values of the Australian National Team and our broader commitment to the principle of Win Well,” AusCycling Executive General Manager of Performance Jesse Korf said.

“Integrity, respect and trust are foundational to our team and organisation, and we remain focused on fostering an environment that upholds these standards.”

AusCycling finalised the statement by reaffirming “its commitment to supporting the Australian cycling community and ensuring that all athletes, partners, and stakeholders embody the values of fairness, respect, and collaboration.”

Originally published as Former Australian cyclist Matthew Richardson banned for life by Cycling Australia