Matthew Richardson is alleged to have repeatedly used the n-word and targeted teammates with offensive language, The Times reports.
The ‘paper adds that a formal complaint about the sprinter was first made to British Cycling in July, shortly before the Commonwealth Games, but that the federation did not suspend Richardson and withdraw him from competition until days before the UCI Track World Championships in October, when he was already in Shanghai preparing to compete.
Richardson subsequently pledged to fully co-operate with the investigation into his behaviour and to do so with “contrition for the feelings of anyone who might be affected”. He did not deny the allegations of discriminatory behaviour.
The Times report that the timing of Richardson’s suspension had confused teammates, and sparked admittance and denials by riders as to whether they had been sent offending messages or not, and to who in the team screenshotted relevant texts.
They add that Richardson has been seen “to make discriminatory remarks about people from minority backgrounds on a regular basis”, including six different uses of the n-word, as well as “a number of offensive references to the Asian community and homophobic comments”.
Meanwhile the original complaint to British Cycling was sparked by what the ‘paper describes as “a deeply offensive image with reference to another GB rider”.
Having initially planned to compete, Richardson did not race in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow following an injury sustained keirin racing in Japan. His partner, Welsh sprinter Emma Finucane, won four gold medals at the Games. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live following the World Championships, where she won two silver medals and a bronze, she reiterated she would support Richardson during the investigation.
In a statement, British Cycling said: “The wellbeing of our people is fundamental to everything we do. We are committed to maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment, and any concerns raised are handled through our formal procedures.
“Any complaint is taken seriously. Allegations of misconduct are assessed carefully and thoroughly, and where evidence supports an allegation, we act promptly and appropriately.”
Performance Director also under investigation
Separate to Richardson’s investigation, The Times also report that British Cycling’s performance director Stephen Park is under investigation due to concerns raised between senior management and staff. The investigation is not related to a staff survey which last month found the organisation was continuing to suffer from a ‘toxic culture’.
Park was previously cleared following an investigation sparked by a former British Cycling commercial manager’s complaint. Jack Lindsay subsequently wrote on LinkedIn that the complaint “covered dozens of incidents over six months, spanning multiple categories of alleged bullying”.
He added he resigned after finding that most of his claims were partially substantiated but that “there would be no apology, and I was told of no action against the individual I had sought to hold responsible”.
Park was appointed as British Cycling’s Performance Director in 2016 following a decorated career within British Sailing. Inheriting a role formerly held by Sir Dave Brailsford, Park has maintained Team GB’s status as a leading nation in elite track cycling competition.
Ahead of a 2017 independent review, which faced criticism that bullying allegations raised within the organisation were whitewashed, Park described the staff he worked with at that year’s world championships as “absolutely committed to what they’re doing, operating at [an] incredibly high level of professionalism, absolutely willing to be held accountable for their own actions and have looked to support the riders at every step of the way”.
A British Cycling spokesperson would not be drawn on the investigation into Park, telling road.cc: “As a policy we would not comment on individual cases, and details of any ongoing procedures or processes are always kept confidential.”
Park was not quoted on the latest performance-related press release published by British Cycling, as has been customary. Instead, quotes on Ciara Oliva’s return to competition were provided by Cameron Meyer, the GB team’s Endurance Discipline Lead.
