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Matthew Richardson says Japan’s Gento Suzuki rode across his line and deliberately hit him during a Keirin World Series race in Tachikawa in July. Richardson broke his shoulder, spent four days in hospital and missed the Commonwealth Games, but has since resumed training and is named in Great Britain’s squad for the October Track Worlds.
British track sprinter Matthew Richardson says a line was crossed when Japanese rider Gento Suzuki collided with him during a Keirin World Series race in Tachikawa in late July, leaving Richardson with a broken shoulder and four days in hospital. Richardson believes Suzuki deliberately rode into him, an allegation Suzuki has not directly addressed to him; the Briton is now preparing to race at the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai on October 14-18.
In an interview ahead of his planned comeback, Richardson said he understood that Japanese keirin racing could involve physical jostling, but considered the collision different. Footage of the crash, as described in the report, shows another rider cutting across the track and striking Richardson. Richardson said he believed the move was intentional. Suzuki was disqualified from the race after the incident.
Suzuki later posted on X: “I’m sorry for disqualifying in Tachikawa. There are no excuses – it was simply down to my own lack of skill!” Richardson said he had received no direct apology and had not spoken to Suzuki. The available account does not establish Suzuki’s intent beyond Richardson’s interpretation of the collision.
Richardson broke his scapula and had a swollen hip. His injuries kept him out of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he had been due to make his debut for Team England. He said he watched from his hospital bed in Japan. He returned to light turbo training about a week after the crash and was sprinting at full effort within two weeks, although he said his recovery took longer than expected.
Crash Cost Richardson Glasgow Debut
The collision had consequences beyond the race itself: Richardson missed a major competition he had been due to contest for Team England. His account also puts rider safety and the limits of contact in keirin racing in focus. Richardson accepts that close racing carries risks, but argues that deliberately taking a line to hit another rider crosses a boundary. That is his assessment; the supplied report does not establish an official finding that the impact was intentional.
His return to the track matters competitively, too. Richardson is a double Olympic silver medallist and has been selected for Great Britain’s 20-rider World Championships squad. He is scheduled to race the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin, with the prospect of facing Dutch rival Harrie Lavreysen. His readiness will be tested in competition after he has not raced since the crash.
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From Tachikawa to Shanghai
The crash took place during a Keirin World Series event in Tachikawa at the end of July. Richardson, 27, previously represented Australia and switched nationality after the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has one career world title, in the team sprint in 2022, and has also won five World Championships silver medals, according to the report.
Richardson’s return comes after a demanding recovery period. He said he was back on a bike before he could walk without a crutch, while also acknowledging that healing was slower than he had expected. He said his training times and power output gave him confidence, but he had not raced since the crash. At the February European Championships, he beat Lavreysen to two titles, setting up a notable rivalry heading into Shanghai.
The Track World Championships are scheduled for October 14-18 at Shanghai Velodrome. The report says Richardson will enter three events. It does not provide a race-by-race schedule or confirm which finals he will reach.
“I think a line was crossed that day, for sure.”
— Matthew Richardson
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Intent and Race Readiness
Suzuki’s intent remains disputed in the information available: Richardson believes the rider deliberately took a wider line to hit him, while Suzuki’s reported post described the crash as a result of his lack of skill. The account says Suzuki was disqualified, but gives no detailed ruling or explanation from race officials about the collision.
Richardson’s condition is also not fully tested in competition. He said there was nothing in his training times or power to suggest he could not reach his best possible form, but he had not raced since July and said the injuries took longer to heal than expected. His actual form at the World Championships will only become clear once he competes.
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Richardson Returns in Shanghai
Richardson is named in Great Britain’s squad for the Track World Championships in Shanghai, October 14-18, where he is scheduled to ride the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin. He has said he is going to the event to pursue gold, while describing his training as a source of confidence after rehabilitation.
The next clear measure of his recovery will be his performance in those events. The supplied report does not give a further update on any disciplinary review or direct contact between Richardson and Suzuki. It also says the championships will be available to viewers in the UK on BBC iPlayer and TNT Sports.
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Key Questions
What happened to Matthew Richardson in Japan?
Richardson crashed during a Keirin World Series race in Tachikawa in late July. He broke his shoulder, had a swollen hip and spent four days in hospital.
Who collided with Richardson?
The report identifies the other rider as Japan’s Gento Suzuki, who was disqualified from the race. Richardson believes the collision was intentional, but the information provided does not establish intent as an official finding.
Did Suzuki apologise to Richardson?
Suzuki posted on X saying he was sorry and attributing the incident to his lack of skill. Richardson said he had received no direct apology and had not spoken to Suzuki.
Will Richardson race at the 2026 Track World Championships?
Richardson is named in Great Britain’s squad for the championships in Shanghai, scheduled for October 14-18. He is expected to compete in the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin, though the report does not confirm his final race-day status.
Why did Richardson miss the Commonwealth Games?
His injuries from the Tachikawa crash ruled him out of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where he had been due to make his Team England debut. He watched the competition while recovering in hospital in Japan.
Source: rss
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