Britain’s new golden couple rocked by his World Championships expulsion: How world’s fastest female cyclist kept boyfriend’s defection secret – but now he’s flying home in ‘misconduct’ storm over his behaviour
Matthew Richardson has been sent home from the World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai while British Cycling investigates a complaint about alleged misconduct towards team-mates. His removal has unsettled expectations of a medal and drawn attention to his relationship with fellow British cyclist Emma Finucane, one of the sport’s leading sprinters.
Richardson, 27, was born in Kent and moved to Australia aged nine before switching to Team GB in 2024; Finucane, 23, kept his plans secret for months. The pair began dating in February 2024 after becoming closer while training in Adelaide. A rider told The Times that Richardson did not moderate his behaviour when speaking to athletes from minority backgrounds; the article provides no further details of the complaint or investigation.
- Matthew Richardson was sent home from the championships amid a misconduct investigation.
- A complaint concerns his behaviour towards team-mates.
- The case has put his relationship with Emma Finucane in the spotlight.
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Matthew Richardson was born in England, grew up in Australia and rode for Australia before switching to British Cycling in 2024. Changing sporting nationality can attract attention because riders may compete against former team-mates and represent a different country at major events.
Emma Finucane is a leading British track sprinter, and she and Richardson began dating in 2024 after training in Adelaide. Their relationship has brought public interest to both athletes, whose results contribute to Britain’s standing in track cycling.
British Cycling is the national governing body for the sport in Britain and is responsible for its teams and conduct processes. Allegations of misconduct towards team-mates can affect athletes and team preparations; the details of the complaint and investigation have not been made public.