England's Olympic cycling silver medallist Matt Richardson has been ruled out of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to injury. The 27-year-old's absence removes an intriguing subplot from the event, as he had controversially switched allegiance to England from Australia after winning two silvers for Australia at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Richardson, who was born in Maidstone, Kent, but moved to Australia at age nine, had maintained dual citizenship. He has since described the Australian programme as "like high school" compared to the British "like Hogwarts," citing greater resources and financial support. His former Australian teammate Leigh Hoffman reportedly said his compatriots "want me to smash him."
Richardson was injured after a crash and subsequent heavy fall at this week’s World Series keirin event in Japan. He was expected to be a strong medal contender on the track in Glasgow, planning to race the team sprint, keirin, and sprint events. Harry Radford will now replace Richardson, making his Commonwealth Games debut in the sprint events.