Matthew Richardson: Defecting Australian cyclist and Olympic medallist cost taxpayers more than $1 million

The career of defecting Australian cyclist Matthew Richardson has cost taxpayers more than a million dollars, it has been estimated.

Richardson, a three-time Olympic medallist, sparked outrage in the Australian cycling community when he announced just days after the Paris Games he would now ride for Great Britain, the country of his birth.

The 25-year-old has defended his decision to switch his allegiance saying the move is about “chasing a dream”.

Industry insiders estimate the national cycling program, which is run by AusCycling and funded through taxpayers by the Australian Institute of Sport and Australian Sports Commission, has tipped in between $1 million and $1.5 million into Richardson’s development since he joined at the end of 2018.

Richardson, who moved from England when he was nine, was a West Australian Institute of Sport athlete between 2015 and 2018.

He was also given an estimated $165,000 across his four years as a WAIS athlete, based on the institutes average athlete spend.

Athletes supported by the ASC are also given a dAIS athlete grant to help support their living arrangements in South Australia, where the national program is based.

Richardson was given $177,000 from that fund between 2017 — the year before he relocated to Adelaide — and 2024, with his allocation rising each year.

The ASC also dished out $1500 over three years as part of its Local Sporting Champions fund while he was still based full-time in Perth.

Less than two weeks after winning two silver medals and a bronze in Paris, Richardson said he would be content if he never medalled for Great Britain.

“I could easily retire today happy. I have achieved a world championship, I have achieved Commonwealth Games gold and I am a three-time Olympic medallist. I could easily retire today a happy man,” he told ABC Extra Time.

“This is about chasing a dream. If I never medalled in an event from now for my career, I don’t mind. If there is more to come then that’s just a bonus, the dream is now to race for Great Britain from now on.

“I’m 25, I’m what some might say mid-way through my career and just decided that if I was going to make the move it’d be now and that’s basically all it boils down to and that’s why the timing is now.”

Richardson’s switch has been approved by the Union Cycliste Internationale and through a new ruling the Midland Cycle Club product only has to sit out two major events, the world championships in October and the European championships in February, before he joins Team Great Britain.

His partner, 21-year-old cycling star Emma Finucane, is based in the United Kingdom and Richardson revealed he had “told small fibs” to avoid teammates and Australian staff learning of the switch before or during the Olympics.

West Australian sports minister David Templeman joined the chorus of voices lamenting Richardson’s decision on Tuesday, but wished him the best.

“We’re disappointed but I wish him well,” Mr Templeman said.

“The national body has its comments but look, at the end of the day, these are professional athletes. “These are people who work very hard to reach the peak of their achievement.

“To go to an Olympic Games for Australia is tremendous, and that will always be etched in the history of the Olympic movement – that Matthew competed for Australia and was very successful.”

Richardson said he hope sporting fans in Australia do not feel “too bitter for too long”.

“I have obviously read a lot of the comments, they don’t affect me in the slightest. The ones that matter are the people close to me and I really feel the support from a lot of people back home,” he said.

“People unfortunately very quickly forget the time and effort I put into getting results for Australia over the last seven years, so hopefully they can be reminded of that at some point in the future.”