‘Just a kid chasing a dream’: WA Olympic medallist Matthew Richardson hits back after shock move to Britain

Matthew Richardson has hit out at critics who question his loyalty after he shocked the cycling world by announcing he was defecting to Britain less than two weeks after his triple medal-winning performance at the Paris Olympics.

Australian cycling was shocked when Richardson announced on social media that he would be moving to Team Great Britain, having already won silver for Australia in the men’s keirin and sprint, and bronze in the men’s team sprint in Paris.

Richardson was born in England but moved to Australia at the age of nine and spent his entire cycling career in Australian cycling.

The decision drew widespread criticism, but Richardson said he was still happy with his decision.

“I understood, of course, that there would be some bitterness about this decision, but at the end of the day it’s my career and my life,” he told ABC News.

“I’m just a kid chasing his dream.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It is up to me whether I want to listen to it or not, and I have clearly chosen not to do so.

“It’s a free world, and they can do and say whatever they want. I’m happy with the decision I made.”

Richardson attributed his decision to what he described as a “strong emotional bond” with his native country.

“Growing up I saw people like Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny winning gold medals at the Olympics for GB and those kinds of memories really resonate with a kid. It kind of burned itself into my brain and that’s always stayed with me,” he said.

‘Good return on investment’

Richardson’s move has raised questions about his loyalty following Australia’s investment in his cycling career.

Former Australian cyclist Katherine Bates told the ABC Sport Daily Podcast the decision was disappointing to many.

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“Some of them feel quite disappointed personally because they were blindsided by it. Others feel a little bit ripped off because their support for him over the years has come at the expense of support for other athletes,” Bates said.

But Richardson had a simple answer.

“I feel like the investment that has been made in me over the last few years in Australian cycling has more than paid off, having won two silver medals and a bronze medal for Australia at the Olympic Games,” he said.

Richardson admits he had changed nationality long before Paris, forcing him to keep his secret from his teammates, coaches and officials.

“It’s hard when you have to keep that kind of information a secret from your friends and teammates. Yeah, it was really hard, but I didn’t want them to have the burden of knowing that and keeping it a secret,” he said.

A clause regarding cyclists changing nationality means that Richardson will now be unable to compete in international competitions, including the upcoming world championships, for a period of time. Exactly how long is not yet known.

“It’s obviously not ideal to miss big international matches, but I think that’s why I had to do it when I did it, so I could miss as few as possible,” said Richardson.

Two-year ban could apply

The Australian Cycling Federation is investigating whether Richardson could be banned from international competition for two years under this clause.

“There is disappointment with the decision and the process and the fact that we were not made aware of Matt’s circumstances,” said Jesse Korf, AusCycling’s general manager of performance.

“He will not participate in the upcoming world championships (in October).

“However, the duration of the non-competition ban and the clauses are currently being investigated and examined together with the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) and the ASC (Australian Sports Commission).”

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Korf said it is “too early to say” whether AusCycling will seek a two-year non-compete agreement.

“That is something we need to discuss internally because we obviously have a big say in that and we need to review this,” he said.

“Similarly, the Australian Institute of Sport/ASC is a major stakeholder as they provide a large portion of the funding.

“That should be a conversation to come to a collective decision, before we can share that and start a conversation with the UCI, Matt and British Cycling.”

ABC/AAP

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