Australian cyclist Mat Richardson has been seriously injured after being shoved off the track by a fellow competitor during a race in Japan, ruling him out of the upcoming Commonwealth Games where he is the defending champion.
Video of the incident has spread widely online. It shows Richardson in a yellow jersey travelling at high speed as he attempts to push toward the front of the field. Japanese rider Kento Suzuki, in a white jersey, catches up and forces Richardson off the track.
The crash left Richardson with injuries serious enough to prevent him from competing at the Commonwealth Games, where he won gold in 2022 and had been expected to defend his title.
Richardson competes for England despite being Australian. He previously won gold at the Paris Olympics representing Australia, but immediately after that Olympic victory he announced he would switch allegiance and compete for Britain going forward. The decision sparked immediate controversy, and his former teammates publicly condemned him for making it.
