Double Olympic silver medallist Matt Richardson has insisted he has "moved on" from the controversy sparked by his nationality switch as he prepares to defend his Commonwealth Games titles — this time riding for England against the Australian teammates he left behind.
The 27-year-old track sprinter, born in Maidstone, Kent but raised in Australia from the age of nine, changed his cycling allegiance days after winning two silvers and a bronze for Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The decision triggered a lifetime ban from representing Australia and set up one of the most compelling subplots of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
"I tried to block out all the negativity, and all the noise," Richardson told BBC Radio Kent. "I experienced the way they decided to handle it at the time, and moved on as quickly as I could. Ultimately, it has zero effect on me."
Richardson's results since switching to Team GB suggest his judgement was correct. He collected two silver medals in sprint and team sprint at the 2025 Track Cycling World Championships and went on to win the European sprint and keirin titles. He has twice broken the men's flying 200m time trial world record, becoming the first cyclist under nine seconds.
The enhanced resources available in Britain have been a major factor. "No expense is spared when it comes to trying to achieve success, and it really feels like that," Richardson said. "We fly with more bikes and more equipment — anything we need to perform at our absolute best. I remember doing World Cups for Australia, and I would only fly over with my race bike. I fly to races now with about four or five bikes."
Richardson won gold in the individual sprint and team sprint at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and says the target on his back only fuels him. "I use it as fuel. I always find motivation in something, whether it's trying to hunt someone down, trying to be better than someone or trying to stay better than other people."
His travel schedule, however, could limit his programme in Glasgow. Richardson will fly directly from racing in Japan, potentially arriving the same day as the team sprint. He plans to contest the team sprint, keirin and individual sprint, with the kilo still under consideration. "If I do race everything, the goal is to win everything," he said.
Sources
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/cwy0yyvnex6o
