Observe sprinter Matthew Richardson has mentioned that the sanctions imposed on him by Australia, together with a lifetime ban from rejoining the squad, are “simply phrases on a chunk of paper” that “don’t actually carry a lot weight”.
The 25-year-old swapped racing nationality after profitable three Olympic medals for Australia this summer season, altering to Nice Britain, his nation of start.
On Monday, AusCycling, Australia’s nationwide physique, launched a assertion about Richardson’s swap, saying he wouldn’t be permitted to rejoin the squad “at any level sooner or later”, and questioning his values.
Talking on Tuesday, the Kent-born sprinter mentioned the assertion got here as “a little bit of a shock”.
“I didn’t understand it as coming,” Richardson mentioned in a UCI Observe Champions League press convention. “I discovered it fairly attention-grabbing. I assume they have been simply eager to get one final, ultimate blow, one final, ultimate phrase. However finally, I had left three months in the past.
“I’m undecided the place the confusion, I assume, has come from, however I assumed it was fairly apparent that, by eager to journey for GB for the remainder of my profession, that may imply I didn’t need to journey for Australia for the remainder of my profession. It’s virtually such as you depart your job, and three months later, they go, ‘Properly, you’re fired!’
“It’s simply phrases on a chunk of paper, actually, they usually don’t actually carry a lot weight for me,” he added.
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As a part of AusCycling’s evaluate, the nationwide physique mentioned it appeared into imposing a two-year non-competition clause, however discovered that such a ban was “legally unenforceable”.
Richardson mentioned he knew “a very long time in the past” {that a} two-year ban wouldn’t be potential.
“The UCI can’t implement rules on me that I haven’t signed for,” he mentioned. “That was simply phrases on a chunk of paper that, once more, don’t maintain any weight. As in addition they mentioned in that evaluate, they’re going to have to return and take a look at that clause, which mainly simply admits that they’re going to have to vary it or eliminate it, or no matter, as a result of it clearly has no that means.”
Born in Maidstone, Richardson moved to Australia along with his household when he was 9 years outdated, and later joined the nation’s expertise pathway. He has since competed at two Olympic Video games in inexperienced and gold, profitable two silvers and a bronze medal in Paris.
Following this summer season’s Video games, however earlier than the announcement of his nationality swap on August 19, AusCycling mentioned Richardson requested to take a motorbike, cockpit and skinsuit to Nice Britain, which posed an “unacceptable threat to AusCycling’s mental property”.
Richardson responded to this declare by saying all of the gear has now been returned. “The factor is, if I had spoken to my coach and mentioned, ‘I’m going to spend six months in Europe to the tip of the 12 months, however I’m not going to convey any bike.’ He would have gone, ‘What are you doing then? That’s very unusual.’ Issues got here with me, that was the way it went, and all the pieces has been returned. That’s the complete story there,” he mentioned.
The 25-year-old made his debut in GB colors on spherical one of many Observe Champions League on Saturday, the place he received each races by which he competed. Representing his start nation, he mentioned, was a “actually particular second – it gave me chills”.
He is now hopeful the connection between him and Australia might be repaired.
“I’ve at all times been respectful to AusCycling, and been very grateful for all the pieces they did for me over time,” Richardson mentioned.
“I actually did suppose I repaid them with all the outcomes, , the World Championship, the three Olympic medals that I returned. Sadly, noise was created across the difficulty, however I sleep properly at evening realizing that that noise didn’t come from myself.
“Hopefully within the years to return, myself and AusCycling can come to some kind of understanding. However for now, there we go. They’ve had their ultimate phrase. Hopefully we will simply put it to mattress and simply take pleasure in using in circles.”
