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Britain's track cyclist Richardson sent home from World Championships

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 19:02 · Archive

British track cyclist Matthew Richardson has been withdrawn from the World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai following a misconduct investigation.

British track cyclist Matthew Richardson has been withdrawn from the Great Britain squad for the World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai after coming under investigation for misconduct.

British Cycling confirmed the 27-year-old's removal from the team in a statement on 12 October but did not initially specify a reason. The Times first reported that Richardson is the subject of an investigation by the governing body into allegations of misconduct. When approached by media outlets, British Cycling declined to comment on the specific allegations, stating: 'British Cycling takes any allegations of harassment, bullying or discrimination extremely seriously. Where concerns are raised, they are investigated thoroughly through our established procedures. Out of fairness to anyone involved in an investigation, we would not comment on any ongoing process.'

The Times reported that the investigation relates to allegations that Richardson made discriminatory remarks about people from minority backgrounds and made jokes about his use of the N-word. The newspaper reported that Richardson is now out of contact and believed to be in the process of leaving China.

Richardson, 27, was named in the British squad for the championships on 9 October and had been widely expected to contend for three medals in the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin. The championships run from 14 to 18 October.

The track cyclist switched allegiance from Australia to Britain after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he won two silver medals and a bronze. He had also been expected to make his England debut at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, but was forced to miss the event after suffering serious injuries in a crash during a keirin race in Japan in the same month. He sustained a broken scapula and a heavily bruised hip in that incident.

Richardson is in a long-term relationship with fellow British cyclist Emma Finucane, a three-time world champion who is also in the Shanghai squad. Richardson has yet to comment on the allegations. His management agency, Rocket Sports, and Richardson himself have not responded to requests for comment from media outlets.

Britain's track cyclist Richardson sent home from World Championships
Image: Independent Sport

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In this story: Matthew Richardson · Emma Finucane · British Cycling · Shanghai · Australia · Great Britain

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