Richardson makes history with 200m world record

Track sprinter clocks first ever sub-nine-second time, reports Tom Davidson

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Great Britain's Matthew Richardson now lays claim to being the fastest track cyclist of all time after he broke the world record in the flying 200m twice last week in Konya, Turkey.

In a behind-closed-doors event laid on by British Cycling, the track sprinter clocked 8.941 seconds on his first attempt, making him the first person in history to go under nine seconds over that distance. Richardson acknowledged afterward that he “rode a lot outside of the sprint lane” — that is to say, above the black and red lines - and had “more in the tank”.

He then lined up another attempt on Friday, when he went 0.084 seconds quicker, settling the record at 8.857 seconds.

He beat the previous record, held by Dutchman and five-time Olympic champion Harrie Lavreysen, by 0.231 seconds, with a blistering average speed of 81.3kph (50.5mph).

“Once someone goes sub-nine, they'll be the first person to ever do that forever. Records get beaten all the time, but barriers stay with that person,” Richardson said in the days before his effort.