Cycling New Zealand says it is deeply saddened by the death of Rio Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore, but denies it failed her.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 24-year-old sprint cyclist died suddenly in Cambridge yesterday.
She had earlier posted an emotional message on social media talking about the pressures of high performance sport. It has since been deleted.
It comes after a damning report into the national cycling body in 2018, which spoke of a toxic culture, bullying, a lack of accountability and effective leadership.
Cycling New Zealand chief executive Jacques Landry came into the role after the report.
Fronting at a media conference on Tuesday, alongside Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle, he said the organisation will be looking at how Podmore was treated.
He said his heart went out to Podmore's family, friends and former team mates.
The focus at the moment was to make sure the health and wellbeing of those people was well taken care of, he said.
''We will continue to endeavour to make sure that is done until we are satisfied that the health and wellbeing of all these people is taken care of properly.''
Cycling New Zealand chief executive Jacques Landry Photo: Cycling New Zealand
All top athletes are offered psychological support through their career, he said.
''Olivia was not an exception. She had a lot of people supporting her through her career and so right now what we are doing is looking back and ok well what was that support. We know that there was a lot of support and we just want to take a step back and review but at this point in time our focus is to really make sure that the people we have here, our athletes, our staff, and the families are well taken care of.''
Cycling New Zealand's board took the sport's culture extremely seriously, Landry said.
''So this is a really, really unfortunate event, but we are going to continue to ensure that we increase the culture and wellbeing within the organisation.''
Cycling New Zealand will be questioning what happened for a long time, he said.
''There will be a time for us to actually review and look at it and where we missed steps or we didn't act properly, but a this point in time the focus is on our people.''
Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle Photo: Photosport
Castle said the mental health of top athletes is incredibly challenging.
''I really wish we could have a black and white and a right and wrong answer for it but unfortunately it is not like that, even when you put the best level of support around a young athlete with an open door into psychological services, into anonymous psychological services and offer all of those opportunities.'
''Sometimes they reach out and we know that Olivia had been reaching out into those environments and gaining that support and why are we here that's the question we would all like the answer to.''
Podmore was not selected for the Tokyo Olympics despite saying in her social media post she had qualified.
Landry said extra support was being provided for the team that did go, many of whom were now in isolation in MIQ after arriving in Christchurch early on Tuesday.
Castle said lessons must be learnt.
''We have to make sure that is one death and that is something we never see (again) and Jacques and I don't ever have to stand and have a press conference like this ever again.''
Landry described Podmore as a very happy outgoing person who would light up a room.
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