Matthew Richardson, the track cyclist who recently switched allegiance from Australia to England, will miss the Glasgow 2026 Games due to injury. Richardson, 27, had been expected to compete against his former Australian teammates after securing two gold medals in the team sprint and individual sprint events for Australia at previous international competitions.

Born in Maidstone, Kent, Richardson moved to Australia at the age of nine and represented the country until his transition to Team England following the Paris 2024 Olympics. His arrival in Glasgow was scheduled for Thursday morning after a flight that included stops in the Middle East and Japan, where he had been training and racing for the past four months.

However, during his final race in Japan, Richardson was involved in a collision when another rider shoulder-barged him, resulting in a fall. Medical examinations in hospital revealed significant bruising but no fractures. Despite the absence of broken bones, the injury's timing prevented him from traveling to Scotland and forced him to withdraw from the competition altogether. Richardson will not be attending the event even as a spectator.

As a result, Harry Radford, 21, who was initially named as a reserve rider, has been called up to fill Richardson’s place in the men’s individual sprint. Radford will make his Commonwealth Games debut competing in the cycling events at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

A spokesperson for Team England confirmed Richardson’s withdrawal, stating, “Unfortunately, due to an injury sustained in international racing earlier this week, Matt Richardson will no longer be able to compete for Team England at the Glasgow 2026 Games. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the track very soon.” The spokesperson also confirmed Radford’s addition to the squad and noted the importance of the competition as preparation toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Track cycling events at the Glasgow Games will run from Thursday through Sunday, highlighting a critical phase in the buildup to the next Olympic cycle.