THE OLYMPICS STAR WHO BETRAYED THE AUSSIES TO JOIN TEAM GB: HOW CYCLIST MATTHEW RICHARDSON'S SECRET PLOT LEFT THOSE DOWN UNDER FUMING - AS HE CLAIMS BOYHOOD MEMORIES OF BRITISH HEROES CHRIS HOY AND JASON KENNY 'BURNT IN HIS BRAIN' MADE HIM DEFECT

Team GB is celebrating and Australia fuming after a triple Olympics medal-winning cyclist - and boyfriend of a Paris 2024 golden girl - dramatically defected after secretly plotting a switch.

Matthew Richardson, who is in a relationship with Emma Finucane who won three medals of her own for Britain at the recent Summer Games, has shocked former team-mates by renouncing Australia for the UK.

He could face a two-year ban from international competition if Australian officials pursue a complaint against him.

But he has defiantly defended his shock decision which comes just weeks after his two silvers and a bronze in the French capital - and hailed Team GB heroes Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Jason Kenny as his boyhood inspirations.

Richardson, 25, was born in Maidstone in Kent before moving to Australia as a nine-year-old due to his father's work.

His former Australia team-mates have condemned his announcement yesterday that he would now be competing for the country of his birth - having kept his plans secret during the Summer Games.

He has responded by telling ABC: 'I obviously understood that there would be a bit of bitterness around this decision, but at the end of the day it's my career and it's my life.

'Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's up to me whether I want to listen to it or not, and I've obviously chosen not to.'

There has been speculation that money is behind Richardson's switch - something he has denied.

He insisted: 'When I grew up I was watching people like Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny win gold medals at the Olympic Games for GB, and those sort of memories really resonate with a kid.

'It kind of burnt itself in my brain, and that has just kind of stuck with me ever since.' 

Sir Jason is Britain's most successful Olympian, with seven golds and two silvers, while fellow cyclist Sir Chris clinched six golds and one silver. 

Australian cyclist Katherine Bates has been among those blasting Richardson, saying his 'blindsided' teammates feel 'ripped off' because the funding that went to him could have been used to support athletes who remained loyal to their country.

She said: 'There's a lot of people who just can't believe it and some who are feeling, personally, quite let down because they were blindsided by it.

'Others who are feeling a little bit ripped off because supporting him over the years has come at the direct cost of supporting other athletes.

'I think the tie to your country is very strong but, in saying that, if there is that tie, then I'm not really sure why he wouldn't have made this leap years ago.

'It doesn't really sit right with me that if that was the case all along why he went down this path with AusCycling.'

But he has hit back by saying: 'The investment that was put into me over the last few years in Australian cycling, I feel like I made a good return on that investment, winning two silver medals and a bronze medal at the Olympic Games for Australia.'

He went on to explain that he kept the impending switch a secret from his fellow cyclists and Australian officials in Paris because he did not want them 'to have the burden of having that and keeping that under wraps'.

Jesse Korf, AusCycling's executive general manager for performance, said: 'There's disappointment around the decision and the process and not knowing around Matt's circumstance.'

And he indicated officials were investigating whether a two-year non-competition clause could be applied to Richardson with cycling's governing authorities.

He has already been ruled out of this October's world championships in Denmark due to Union Cycliste Internationale stipulations that cyclists who switch nationality cannot take part at the next world and continental tournaments.

Korf said: 'For sure he will not compete at the upcoming world championships. But the non-competition duration and clauses, that is being interrogated and looked into at the moment together with the UCI and ASC [Australian Sports Commission].'

Korf said it was 'too early to tell' whether AusCycling wanted to pursue a two-year ban.

'That is something that we would have to discuss internally because we obviously have a big say in that and we need to review that,' he added.

British Cycling, which has a financial budget three times larger than AusCycling, reportedly told Korf they did 'proactively reach out' to entice Richardson - suggesting he contacted them himself instead.

'There would have had to be discussions prior to Matt lodging his procedure with the UCI which got finalised at least three months ago,' Korf added.

'It's highly likely that there would have been conversations between February and April - however, the nature of that, I am not aware of.'

Richardson's Welsh-born partner Finucane, 21, won gold in the team sprint and bronze in both the keirin and the sprint at Paris 2024.

She became the first British woman to clinch three medals at a single Summer Olympics since track and field athlete Mary Rand in Tokyo in 1964. 

Richardson's medal haul in Paris comprised two silvers in the sprint and the keirin and a bronze in the team sprint.

In a statement announcing his desire to now represent Britain, he said: 'I deeply respect Australia and the AusCycling team and it will always be a part of who I am.

'But this decision is about following my passion and pushing myself to new heights. This is about embracing a new chapter in my journey and chasing a dream to race for the country I was born in.'

Team GB won 65 medals at Paris 2024, one more than the Covid pandemic-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021 - with 14 golds, 22 silvers and 29 bronzes, including eight podium finishes in the velodrome.

British Cycling's performance director Stephen Park said: 'We’re pleased to welcome Matt to the team and will be supporting him in his transition onto the programme over the coming weeks and months.

‘We are incredibly proud of our sprint programme, which has delivered some fantastic results at the recent Olympic Games and continues to go from strength to strength.

'Matt will only be adding to this strength in depth and I am excited to see what his presence adds to the talent we already have as we start to turn our attention to the new four-year cycle towards LA 2028.'