Matt Richardson, England's Olympic cycling silver medalist, has been ruled out of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games through injury sustained in a crash at a World Series keirin event in Japan. (BBC Sport)

The 27-year-old had been set to race the team sprint, keirin and individual sprint on the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome track — the three fastest, most explosive events in track cycling. Instead, Harry Radford will take his place and contest the sprint events on his Commonwealth Games debut. (BBC Sport)

Team England confirmed the withdrawal on their official Facebook page, with TNT Sports also reporting the news on 24 July. The injury stems from a crash and subsequent heavy fall at the keirin meeting in Japan. Keirin is a motorpaced race in which riders follow a derny — a small motorcycle — before sprinting for the line in the final laps; the high speeds and tight bunch riding make crashes part of the sport's harsh arithmetic.

Richardson's absence is a particular blow because Glasgow would have been his first appearance in an England jersey. Born in Maidstone, Kent, he moved to Australia at the age of nine and held dual citizenship throughout. He raced for Australia at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he won individual and team sprint gold, and at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he took two silver medals. (Team England)

Days after those Paris silvers, Richardson switched his sporting allegiance from Australia to England. The move meant he could finally represent the country of his birth on the international stage. (BBC Sport)

Since that switch, Richardson has been among the fastest men on a track bike. He won sprint and team sprint silver at the 2025 Track Cycling World Championships and went one better at the European Championships, beating Olympic champion Harrie Lavreysen to take both the sprint and keirin titles. (BBC Sport)

For fans, this means the Glasgow track programme loses one of its headline names before a pedal is turned. Richardson against Lavreysen has become the defining rivalry of men's sprint cycling; without the Englishman, the Commonwealth field loses its biggest draw.

Radford now carries England's sprint hopes. A debutant at this level is always a step into the unknown, but the call-up is the kind that can define a career — a chance to prove himself on home boards against the best in the Commonwealth.

No timetable has been given for Richardson's return.