Silver bittersweet for Richardson in worlds debut for Britain

Matthew Richardson described his first world championship medal for Britain as "bittersweet" after again losing out to the unstoppable Dutch in the team sprint in Santiago on Wednesday.

The opening day of the UCI Track World Championships marked the 26-year-old Richardson's debut for Britain in the event since he switched allegiance from Australia last year.

He ended up with a silver medal as part of the team sprint squad that lost to Harrie Lavreysen's Dutch team in the final.

"Coming away with a silver medal is bittersweet for me," Richardson, who won the team sprint world title for Australia in 2022, said.

"My first medal at a world championships in a GB skinsuit is going to feel amazing. I wish it was the top step.

"But I can't come away too mad about that."

It would have been a huge surprise if Britain had prevented the Dutch from winning team sprint world gold for the seventh time in the last eight years, especially as it was the same orange trio who blazed to Olympic gold last year.

The final was close, however, and Richardson appeared to keep pace with Lavreysen during the second lap with Britain ahead when he peeled off, only for Jeffery Hoogland to catch Hamish Turnbull to give the Dutch victory by 0.37 seconds.

"It's the closest we've ever been to the Dutch and it's a really positive first step in the cycle (to the 2028 LA Olympics)," Richardson's teammate Joe Truman said.

Richardson, who won three medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics, will get another crack at Lavreysen in the individual event and the keirin. Lavreysen's world championship gold medal tally now stands at 17.