A Kent-born Olympic track cyclist has been banned from ever competing for Australia again after announcing his allegiance to Great Britain.

Matthew Richardson, 25, was born in Maidstone but moved to Perth when he was nine, so he holds dual citizenship. He won silver for Australia at the Paris Olympics in both the men's keirin and sprint plus a bronze in the men's team sprint but shortly afterwards announced that he wanted to compete for Great Britain.

His decision to race for the nation of his birth left AusCycling - the country's national governing body for cycling - fuming.

Richardson originally made his shock announcement in August, saying: “Switching nationality was a difficult decision and not one I took lightly. It was a personal choice, made after careful consideration of my career and future.

“This decision is about following my passion and pushing myself to new heights. This isn't about leaving something behind but about embracing a new chapter in my journey and chasing a dream.”

Australia’s governing body originally looked into imposing a two-year non-competition clause as outlined in Richardson’s athlete’s membership agreement but such a ban was deemed legally unenforceable.

A statement from AusCycling was released on Monday, saying the rider “acted in a way which conflicted with the values of AusCycling, the Australian National Team and the broader cycling community.”

They said that Richardson had “requested that the world cycling body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), delay official disclosure of his nationality change until after the Olympic Games” and that the request was supported by British Cycling.

Following the review, AusCycling said that Richardson would not be eligible to rejoin the Australian cycling team “at any point in the future.”

A UCI ban - applied to all cyclists who switch nationalities - prevented Richardson from competing for Great Britain at last month’s Track World Championships and he remains unable to represent the nation until spring 2025.

AusCycling general manager of performance Jesse Korf said: “These decisions underscore AusCycling’s adherence to the values of the Australian National Team and our broader commitment to the principle of Win Well.

“Integrity, respect and trust are foundational to our team and organisation, and we remain focused on fostering an environment that upholds these standards.”

According to their statement, Richardson also asked to take an AusCycling custom bike, cockpit and Olympic race suit to Great Britain after the Olympics, which they said “represented an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property.”

Richardson was able to race in British colours for the first time last weekend, however, at the Track Champions League in France where he won both the men’s sprint and keirin. Riders compete independently of their national bodies at the event.

Richardson, who was inspired by the likes of GB Olympic champions Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, spoke earlier about his decision to switch nations, telling ABC that he had a “strong emotional connection" to the country of his birth.

He said: “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. I'm just a kid chasing a dream.

"Everyone's 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.

"It's a free world and they can do and say what they like. I'm happy with the decision I've made."

Richardson will be riding at London’s Lee Valley Velodrome during the final rounds of the Track Champions League on December 6-7.