Richardson’s First GB Worlds Medal — A Bittersweet Silver in Santiago
Matt Richardson won his first world championships medal competing for Great Britain as the men’s and women’s team sprint squads both took silver on the opening day of the 2025 UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile.
Event and context
The championships run 22–26 October 2025 at the Velódromo Peñalolén in Santiago. The Velódromo is hosting the event for the first time and the 22-title program marks a major early milestone in the LA 2028 Olympic cycle. Coverage in the UK is being provided across BBC platforms (Red Button, iPlayer and the BBC Sport site/app).
What happened: men’s team sprint
Great Britain’s men qualified strongly, with Joe Truman, Matt Richardson and Harry Ledingham-Horn posting the second-fastest time behind the Netherlands in qualifying. GB defeated Germany in round one, then made a tactical change for the final: Hamish Turnbull replaced Harry Ledingham-Horn to ride the third lap alongside Truman and Richardson.
In the gold-medal final the British trio led for much of the race. Richardson peeled off after lap two with GB still ahead, but the experienced Dutch finish—anchored by Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen—closed the gap on the final lap. The Netherlands finished 0.37 seconds ahead, leaving GB with silver. The margin and competitive performance underlined how close the British squad has become to the Dutch benchmark.
Richardson, 26, who switched allegiance from Australia to Great Britain after his Paris 2024 Olympic success, called the result “bittersweet.” He celebrated earning his first worlds medal in a GB skinsuit and his sixth world championships medal overall, while acknowledging he wanted the top step. Joe Truman noted the performance was the closest GB have been to the Dutch for some time and described the result as a positive step toward LA 2028.
What happened: women’s team sprint
Defending world champion Emma Finucane led a new-look British women’s trio featuring debutants Iona Moir and Rhianna Parris-Smith. The trio qualified fastest and progressed through round one with a win over Colombia to reach the final.
In the title ride-off GB faced the Netherlands’ strong sprint unit. The Dutch edged the British team by 0.26 seconds (reported margins vary slightly by outlet but the Dutch prevailed comfortably), leaving Finucane, Moir and Parris-Smith with silver. Finucane — already a multiple-world and Olympic medallist — praised her rookies for composure and performance in their first world championships final, calling their effort a sign of promise for the future.
Individual starts and British programme
Several members of the wider GB squad have individual events to follow. Finucane will start her defence of the individual sprint title later in the championships. Other British athletes scheduled for individual races include Katie Archibald (elimination and madison), Mark Stewart (men’s scratch), Maddie Leech (women’s scratch — a worlds debut), Harry Ledingham-Horn and Richardson (men’s keirin). GB also aim to defend the women’s team pursuit title later in the week.
Significance and next steps
- Sportingly, two silver medals on day one reaffirm Great Britain’s sprint depth and provide a clear measurement against the dominant Dutch teams.
- For Richardson, the result cements a successful start to his tenure in a GB skinsuit after his switch of allegiance and a summer of record-breaking form on the flying 200m.
- The championships represent an important step in team development and combinations ahead of the 2028 Olympic cycle; coaches will use these races to refine line-ups, race lines and recovery strategies.
Key takeaways
- Both GB sprint squads reached gold-medal finals and took silver, with the Netherlands holding the narrow advantage in both events.
- Richardson’s first medal for Great Britain is a milestone personally and for the men’s sprint programme.
- Debutants Iona Moir and Rhianna Parris-Smith impressed alongside veteran Emma Finucane, suggesting promising depth in the women’s sprint pool.
This strong opening day keeps Great Britain firmly in contention across multiple events at the 2025 Track World Championships while highlighting the ongoing rivalry with the Netherlands as the benchmark for sprint success.
