Olympian Matthew Richardson banned for life by Australia

Double Olympic silver medallist Matthew Richardson has been banned for life by Australia after he swapped his nationality this August, following the Paris Olympics, meaning he now competes for Great Britain. This means Richardson will most likely never represent the Australian national squad again. 

The 25-year-old was born in Maidstone, Kent, but relocated to Australia with his family when he was nine. 

In the wake of Richardson’s decision in August, he has been under investigation by AusCycling, Australia’s national body. According to the body, Richardson “acted in a way which conflicted with the values of AusCycling, the Australian National Team and the broader cycling community.” 

Australia’s ban does not interfere with him competing for Great Britain in any way. 

Richardson was planning his switch back in February 2024. He approached the head of Great Britain’s squad around this time at the UCI Nations Cup in Adelaide. He did not reveal any of his plans to coaches or teammates. They found out just before the public announcement on 19 August. 

Furthermore, AusCycling said that Richardson wanted to take his race bike, cockpit and Olympic skinsuit with him to use in his new Great Britain squad. AusCycling voiced that this: “represented an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property.” 

AusCycling has officially prohibited Richardson from rejoining the Australian Cycling Team “at any point in the future.” He is officially barred from using any of the team’s, including its partners’, resources, and he cannot be given any AusCycling awards. 

Clearly outraged, AusCycling also attempted to impose a two-year non-competition clause. However, this was “legally unenforceable.” 

UCI rules do specify that following a nationality swap, a rider cannot compete in the immediate World and Continental Championships. Therefore, Richardson can compete for Great Britain after the European Championships in February. 

Richardson made his Great Britain debut independently during the UCI Track Champions League on Saturday 23 November. He won both of the events at the Champions League and took the lead.

Richardson said: “I was really trying to soak in the experience. When the announcer called my name representing Great Britain, it was such a special feeling. It’s a dream come true really and to win every single race tonight was more than I could have ever wished for.” 

Jesse Korf, AusCycling’s Executive General Manager of Performance, said that AusCycling’s impositions: “underscore [its] adherence to the values of the Australian National Team and our broader commitment to the principle of  Win Well.” 

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

British Cycling has not chosen to comment on the situation yet.