Matt Richardson has been removed from Great Britain's squad for the World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai next week following reports of a misconduct investigation, British Cycling announced.
The 27-year-old Olympic medallist's withdrawal was confirmed by British Cycling in a statement, though the organisation did not specify the reason. When contacted, British Cycling declined to comment on allegations initially reported by The Times regarding the investigation into misconduct.
Richardson had been selected for the championships, scheduled to take place from 14 to 18 October, just days before his removal was announced. He was anticipated to compete across three events: the team sprint, individual sprint, and keirin, where he was expected to contend for medals.
The cyclist made the decision to represent Great Britain following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he competed for Australia and secured two silver medals and one bronze medal. This represented a significant shift in his sporting allegiance after years competing under the Australian flag.
His withdrawal from the World Championships comes after he was also forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. That absence followed a crash he sustained during a keirin event in Japan, which prevented him from making his anticipated England debut at the Games.
