- He has raced for Australia in two Olympic Games.
- He defected to the nation where he was born.
- He has revealed a new uniform, irritating the Australians in the process.
The renegade Australian cyclist who defected to Britain revealed his team’s new colors and took a beating in the comments section for his troubles.
Matt Richardson went from Australian hero to public enemy number one by announcing he would henceforth compete for Great Britain.
Richardson represented Australia until August this year, competing as a track cyclist in men’s keirin, individual sprint and team sprint at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where the Australians finished fourth.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the 25-year-old, born in Kent, won two silver medals in the keirin and men’s sprint, and a bronze in the men’s team sprint.
He then surprised the Australians by announcing his decision to change nationality and compete for Great Britain, citing personal reasons and a desire to pursue new dreams.
This move was approved by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and, following his defection, Richardson competed for Great Britain in the UCI Track Champions League three days ago, winning the men’s sprint and keirin finals in France.
Richardson celebrates winning a silver medal for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics
The Australian renegade has now revealed his Britain riding uniform after defecting nations.
AusCycling has banned Richardson for life from representing Australia, citing his conduct before defecting, including withholding information about his move and requesting to take AusCycling property to Britain.
The ban prohibits him from re-joining the Australian cycling team, accessing its resources or receiving related awards.
In the wake of the ban, Richardson took to social media to show off his new national colors alongside his new team jersey, earning the ire of Australian sports fans in the process.
Richardson said the design of his new uniform was “really cool.”
‘Red, white, blue, super clean. It also matches the legs. It’s great to finally be in this.
“After watching drivers race in it for the last three years, it’s a bit of a strange feeling.
“But it’s great and definitely a 10/10 for me.”
He also posted on his personal Instagram account after his first race for Great Britain in France.
‘Dream start for @ucitcl in Paris! Tough night with what seemed like a lot of pressure to perform. There is still a long way to go, so take it one race at a time. The next stop is Holland,” he said.
While British fans were excited to see their new superstar showing off his new colors on social media, Australians were less enthused.
Richardson has also revealed his team colors for the UCI European Track Champions League.
‘Banned for life from Australian cycling. You can’t get respect and integrity back,’ posted one Australian supporter.
‘It’s your choice, but you will have questions about your loyalty and ethics throughout your career. Given the support of Australian cycling institutions and his current record representing Australia. “Personally I don’t think it’s the right thing to do, but he has to live with it,” added another.
“Renegade confirmed and banned,” another complained.
“I would have just sold it on the Facebook marketplace,” another said of the uniform.
“Absolute (snake emoji),” another posted.
However, those Australians are receiving little sympathy from British fans.
“Ah, I’m so glad to see you in the British colors, they look good on you,” one posted in his video revealing the GB uniform.
“What an improvement,” another posted with a fire emoji.
Richardson will next compete in Round 3 of the UCI Track Champions League on November 30, where Apeldoorn in the Netherlands will make its debut as a tour venue.