Because he changes nation
Olympic hero banned for life in Australia
Updated on November 28th, 2024 – 8:00 a.m. Reading time: 1 min.
Matthew Richardson with his medal at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. (Source: IMAGO/Li Yibo/imago)
Australian cyclist Matthew Richardson has been banned for life by his home country’s cycling federation. The reason is his move to Great Britain.
Matthew Richardson, a celebrated Australian Olympic cycling medalist, has surprised by moving to Great Britain. As a result, the 25-year-old athlete will never be allowed to compete for Australia again because he has been banned for life by the Australian AusCycling association. Richardson, who won two silvers and one bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, had kept his decision secret until after the Games.
AusCycling said the association conducted a thorough review and concluded that Richardson’s actions were viewed as inconsistent with the association’s values. What was particularly criticized was that Richardson apparently tried to take a custom-made bicycle and an Olympic racing suit with him to Great Britain. “This posed an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property,” the association said.
In addition to the lifetime ban, Richardson will no longer be allowed to use team resources and will be barred from any awards. However, a requested two-year ban from competition was rejected, so Richardson has been driving for Great Britain since September.
According to media reports, Richardson was born in Maidstone, England, in 1999 and emigrated to Australia with his family at the age of nine. His career as a cyclist so far culminated in winning medals at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
