British elite sprinter Matthew Richardson has been withdrawn from the upcoming UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai by British Cycling following an ongoing investigation into severe allegations of misconduct. Richardson was already in China ahead of the event, which runs from October 14 to October 18, but the British federation put the sprinter back on a plane to Great Britain.
The withdrawal removes the primary rival for sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, who sees his biggest competitor drop out before the tournament. Richardson was expected to be a major protagonist in the sprint events and aimed to dethrone the Dutch rider, having broken the world record in the 200-meter flying start last year.
Investigation Into Misconduct
The issue came to light after the British newspaper The Times uncovered that the British cycling federation opened an investigation following serious accusations of misconduct. According to evidence reviewed by the newspaper, the 27-year-old track cyclist made discriminatory remarks concerning riders with a minority background. The Times additionally reported that Richardson allegedly made jokes about his use of the N-word and discriminatory messages and behavior.
The British cycling federation confirmed that Richardson has been withdrawn from the World Championships selection and has left the team, though the organization provided no further explanation.
Background and Career Shifts
Richardson previously competed for Australia up through the 2024 Olympic Games, capturing three Olympic medals during that time, before switching to represent his birth country last year. Last winter, he defeated world and Olympic champion Lavreysen across the three major sprint events—the keirin, team sprint, and individual sprint—at the European Championships. He subsequently missed the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July due to an injury.
