An ex-Australian cyclist whose defection to Great Britain after the 2024 Olympics shocked the nation has been dumped from the GB squad.
Matt Richardson, who was born in Maidstone but moved to Perth when he was nine, is at the centre of an investigation by British Cycling amid allegations of misconduct.
Pending a verdict, the 27-year-old has been withdrawn from the Team GB squad for the upcoming track cycling world championships in Shanghai.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
British Cycling released a statement to The Times, who broke the story, saying they take “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 statement reads.
The Times have reported that the investigation was launched after a complaint from a fellow cyclist.
The masthead also revealed claims he had been “making discriminatory remarks about people from minority backgrounds” and “joking about his use of the N-word”.
Richardson, who won two silver medals and one bronze for Australia in Paris two years ago, was expected to be one of the team’s leading medal contenders in Shanghai.
The star sprinter broke the world record for the men’s flying 200m last year.
He was forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games earlier this year after sustaining a broken scapula in a crash on the eve of the competition.
His choice to defect from the Australian team and join their fierce English rivals led to lingering bad blood between the two teams, with former teammate Ryan Hoffman regularly making pointed comments over the move during the Commonwealth Games.
“It would be great if he stayed in Australia, but his heart was obviously never always in it. So good riddance,” Hoffman said following Richardson’s pre-Games crash.
Richardson has previously explained his choice to return to England, saying he would “never want to disrespect” his adopted country.
“I grew up watching (cycling legend) Chris Hoy race on the TV,” he said in 2024.
“Whenever I’ve raced in the UK, it felt as though I was racing in front of a home crowd.
“It made me think: ‘What would this feel like if I was racing for Great Britain?’ That’s something I want to find out. I want to chase that feeling.”
Another reason for the move is his relationship with Team GB cyclist Emma Finucane, who won a gold medal at the 2024 Games.