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

A BRITISH way cyclist has been slammed by Australia for switching allegiances – and keeping the arguable determination a secret.

Matthew Richardson won 3 medals astatine the Paris 2024 Olympics – sprint silver, Keirin metallic and squad sprint bronze – successful the greenish and golden colours of Australia.

Yet pursuing the event, helium transferred implicit to Team GB and was adjacent progressive successful the UCI Track Champions League implicit the play successful France.

Richardson was calved successful Maidstone and moved with his household to Perth aged nine.

But helium is the spouse of British cycling velocity queen Emma Finucane.

However, AusCycling conducted a “thorough investigation” of Richardson’s actions, claiming helium “acted successful a mode which conflicted with the values” of the Australian nationalist squad and “the broader cycling community”.

Their reappraisal claims Richardson asked the UCI, the satellite cycling body, to hold authoritative disclosure of his nationality alteration until aft the Olympics – a petition supported by British Cycling.

They allege helium “withheld quality of his determination from AusCycling, his teammates, and cardinal stakeholders” anterior to travelling to the French capital.

And AusCycling has besides accused Richardson of asking to instrumentality their “property” post-Games – “a customized bike, cockpit and Olympic race” suit – arsenic helium moved to the Manchester cycling HQ.

The Aussies accidental this “represented an unacceptable hazard to AusCycling’s intelligence property”.

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AusCycling reason that Richardson volition not beryllium eligible to rejoin the Australian cycling squad astatine immoderate constituent successful the aboriginal and is prohibited from utilizing immoderate of their resources.

Sprinter Richardson, 25, volition anticipation to vie for Britain passim 2025 and yet suffice for the state of his commencement astatine the LA 2028 Olympics.

The imaginable of imposing a two-year non-competition prohibition – arsenic outlined successful Richardson’s athlete’s rank statement – was deemed legally unenforceable.

British Cycling declined to remark erstwhile approached by SunSport.