Inquiry into New Zealand’s elite cycling program reveals culture of ‘medals over wellbeing’

The long-awaited report from the independent inquiry into Cycling New Zealand has revealed a range of problems with the sport’s high-performance system pointing out that it “prioritises medals over wellbeing”.

High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) and Cycling NZ today released the findings of the inquiry commissioned following the suspected suicide of New Zealand cycling talent Olivia Podmore.

Nine months after Podmore’s death, the report has uncovered a litany of problems with the Cambridge-based sport program where the 24-year-old Olympian spent her entire adult life.

The inquiry, conducted by an independent panel, comprising Mike Heron QC, Massey University Professor Sarah Leberman, former Silver Fern Dr Lesley Nicol and Olympic rower Genevieve Macky.

Dr Sarah Leberman, tabled their findings in a 104-page report that concludes many months of work into the wellbeing aspects of the high performance system and in particular, the cycling programme.

Speaking following the release of the report, Heron advised that Cycling NZ was an organisation of people who were passionate about cycling and had made changes before and after the review, but that there “was significant room for improvement” and that the high-performance system “prioritises medals over wellbeing”.

Among the most alarming findings in the report, was athletes’ “fear of reprisals” for raising issues with coaches and management, a centralised high performance base in Cambridge that carries a “risk for athlete wellbeing”, a lack of transparency with selection at Cycling NZ, and a funding model at odds with wellbeing.

The inquiry also found a lack of appropriate women’s health support and a reliance on traditional male networks - particularly within the coaching environment where there is a lack of women and diversity - and a lack of support for athletes entering and leaving the CNZ high performance system.

The recruitment of Cycling NZ coaches on the basis of their technical knowledge of competition and “too little emphasis on personality, EQ, soft skills and integrity” received scrutiny and censure in the report.

It also found a “concerning” use of non-disclosure agreements to deal with athlete and staff disputes, in a “seemingly closed culture” within Cycling NZ and HPSNZ.

With the report’s release, Cycling NZ put out a statement to acknowledge they accepted the inquiry’s findings and, for the first time, Chairperson Phil Holden offered a direct apology to the Podmore family on behalf of the organisation.

Holden also apologised to others in the 2016 programme for the “trauma” it caused, and said the organisation needed and would like to be part of “a process to address the trauma”, if the athletes allow.

As reported by the NZ Herald, he stated “we are starting to turn a corner ... but we have a long way to go.

“We are going to review everything. It’s all on the table. We are not going to rest. We want this to be the last cycling inquiry.”

It is the second inquiry after a similar one in 2018, also conducted by Heron, which stemmed from an incident which Podmore actually first reported to Cycling NZ management during a training camp in Bordeaux in the lead up to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Heron’s 2018 review into Cycling NZ’s high performance programme looked at allegations over bullying and other improper conduct culture, finding a “dysfunctional culture” in the program.

The Terms of Reference for the inquiry included assessing what progress had been made following the recommendations from the 2018 Cycling Report, identifying areas for further improvement in relation to wellbeing and identifying areas for further improvement in relation to Cycling New Zealand’s high performance programme.

The inquiry panel was not asked to investigate the circumstances surrounding the young cyclists’ which is now the focus of a Coronial Inquiry.

Before releasing the final report publicly, Heron and Dr Leberman, along with HPSNZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle, and Cycling NZ’s Holden, met with Podmore’s family. They were given a copy of the report and had the opportunity to discuss the contents in person.

Images: Olivia Podmore, who died in August last year, competed for New Zealand in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Source: Instagram.