Olivia Podmore died in August 2021 in a suspected suicide. Photo: Dianne Manson / RNZ Composite
This story discusses mental health and suicide. A list of helplines is available at the bottom of the page.
Cycling NZ officials acted in an "arrogant, mean and defensive" manner towards Olivia Podmore when the young cyclist sought answers for her non-selection for the Tokyo Olympic Games, an inquest into the 24-year-old's death has heard.
Podmore's friend and former flatmate Andrew McLean told the Coroner's Court in Hamilton on Tuesday that he witnessed first hand the "mistreatment" of the athlete when he attended a meeting as her support person to discuss her omission from the Games team.
Podmore died in a suspected suicide in August 2021, the day after the conclusion of the Olympics.
New Zealand had qualified two sprint spots for the Olympics, but elected to only send one sprinter to the event and give the additional quota spot to an endurance rider.
McLean said Podmore "whether rightly or wrongly" strongly believed her non-selection was due to political, rather than performance, reasons and appealed the decision with Cycling NZ.
The court heard Podmore was invited to discuss the decision at a meeting in July 2020 with former Cycling NZ high performance director Martin Barras, then head sprint coach Rene Wolff, and athlete development lead Graham Hunn. Cycling NZ also had a lawyer present for the meeting - a situation McLean described as "four against two".
McLean said he believed there should have been an independent mediator present at the meeting.
"I would have thought it would be good to have an independent voice in the room because we offered a solution, which was shut down," he said.
"They took zero time to consider it."
Olivia Podmore's father, Phil, listens to evidence on day two of the coronial inquest. Photo: Mark Jephson / Stuff
McLean accepted he was at times tense and combative in the meeting, as he was frustrated with the unwillingness of the Cycling NZ officials to take any of Podmore's points on board.
He said during the meeting he questioned why Podmore was not given an individual performance plan - something he believed Cycling NZ were obligated to provide as part of the athlete's agreement with the national body - and claimed this was a breach of contract.
McLean claimed Cycling NZ's lawyer responded "only a judge could decide a breach of contract".
"In my view this response was indicative of the overall dismissive tone of the meeting," he said.
McLean said he felt if the Cycling NZ high performance staff had given Podmore some indication during the meeting that they saw her as part of their plans for the future, it would have made a difference to her state of mind.
"If Liv had left the meeting with a clear vision of how to get to Paris, it would have been a totally different thing. But [Martin] Barris in particular sat there and I don't think he could have given a spare thought around whether she continues in the programme or not.
"No one there seemed at all concerned about the athlete's welfare and how she was leaving the meeting.
"There was no 'we think you're fast, but you're not quite there' … there's ways you could couch it to make someone leave that meeting feeling like they were a valued part. But she did not leave the meeting feeling like that. She left that meeting feeling like that was it. [She was] crushed."
McLean submitted in his brief of evidence that at the end of the meeting the Cycling NZ lawyer advised Podmore that she could make a formal appeal to the Sports Tribunal if she wished. However, the lawyer noted the "rarity of success" at the tribunal, and said the athlete's relationship with Cycling NZ "could be damaged as a result".
When challenged by Cycling NZ's lawyer Paul David on whether the lawyer in the meeting had used the word "damage" or "affect", McLean accepted that she had used the word "affect".
David also clarified that the lawyer had noted that the tribunal process can be stressful "for all parties".
Double Olympic champion Eric Murray gives evidence at an inquest into the death of his friend Olivia Podmore. Photo: Mark Jephson / Stuff
The tipping point
The inquest also heard on Tuesday from champion rower Eric Murray, who mentored Podmore during the 2020 and 2021 seasons as she sought to bounce back from the disappointment of missing Olympic selection.
Murray told the court that he believed the "tipping point" for Podmore was the Games period, when she watched her friends and former teammates achieve the success she had craved.
"I think the tipping point for Olivia was having to watch the Tokyo Olympic Games after everything she had gone through in connection with her non-selection," Murray said.
"She watched her ex-boyfriend Tom Murray win a gold medal in the rowing eight. Olivia was upset during this time … she also watched a friend and teammate, who was arguably ranked lower than Olivia, go on to win a medal in an event she had raced in."
Murray said Podmore's non-selection for the Olympic Games, despite the women's sprint team have qualified a spot, left her questioning why she was even in the programme.
"She was uncertain as to the fact if she was part of the programme, then what she was there for if they weren't going to send her to these events when she qualified?" Murray said.
"Generally people aren't in the programme for shits and giggles, they are there to get to the Olympics or the world champs or the Commonwealth Games."
Murray said he was aware Podmore was upset and somewhat distressed but he said he did not quite appreciate "the full extent to which she was suffering".
This has been a common theme of the evidence from Podmore's friends during the first two days of the hearing.
Murray's partner, Thea Lyle, told the court that she was aware Podmore had mental health challenges and was struggling with a feeling of injustice at her treatment in the programme, but they did not realise she was "high risk" for suicide.
Lyle said after Podmore's death she found a booklet in her room with an emergency plan outlining steps to go through if she was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
'Don't f***ing crash'
Earlier on Tuesday, the court heard further harrowing details of the bullying Podmore experienced during her time in the Cycling NZ programme, including one incident that occurred just minutes before she competed at the Rio Olympic Games.
Nicholle Bailey, the ex-wife of the coach at the centre of the events that lead to the 2018 inquiry into Cycling NZ, gave evidence that the coach refused to wheel Podmore to the startline before her races at the Games and told her "You do not deserve to be here".
"The whole Games [the coach] was messaging her telling she didn't deserve to be there and she should be grateful," she said.
"She told me that as she was leaving the pits he whispered in her ear, 'Don't crash, don't f***ing crash, just don't f***ing crash'."
Podmore was involved in a crash in the keirin event at the Rio Olympics, and returned to ride the sprint the next day.
Olivia Podmore pictured at the 2016 Olympic Games after crashing out of the keirin event. Photo: Photosport Ltd
The previously unknown detail was met by an emotional response in the public gallery, with several onlookers breaking down in tears.
Three weeks prior to the Rio Games, Podmore inadvertently exposed that the coach was having an affair with one of her teammates during a training camp in Bordeaux.
Both the coach and the athlete cannot be named due to suppression orders in place.
On Tuesday, Bailey told the court she did not become aware of the "Bordeaux incident" until nearly two years later.
After independently learning of her husband's ongoing relationship with an athlete, Bailey said she approached then-Cycling NZ chief executive Andrew Matheson about her concerns.
Matheson told her he had been aware of the affair for some time, but he was unable to do anything unless Podmore was prepared to make a formal statement, Bailey said.
It was at this time Bailey got in touch with Podmore, who agreed to meet for coffee.
Bailey told the court that during this meeting, another athlete saw Podmore's car parked at her home, and the information got back to the coach.
"The bullying towards Olivia escalated after this," Bailey said.
"[The coach] would berate Olivia on all aspects of her personal life. Who she was seeing and when, what she ate, the size of her bottom, her haircut, how many boys she slept with and more. It was relentless."
Nicholle Bailey, a friend of Olivia Podmore and ex-wife of one of the Cycling NZ coaching staff, gives evidence at the inquest into Podmore's death. Photo: Mark Jephson / Stuff
Asked by Podmore's stepfather, Chris Middleton, how the young athlete felt about the comments, Bailey responded: "She felt awful. You're a young girl, you're entitled to live a life. It would be the same as if I was in the workplace and my boss was dredging up my personal life and using it against me every day. It's not okay."
Bailey said other members of the track cycling team witnessed the bullying, but said nothing about the treatment.
"They definitely saw it and heard it. They didn't help. If it worked to make their life easier then they would support what was being said [by the coach].
"She was ostracised and bullied by what [the coach] called the A-team. They definitely used to help kick the dog when it's down, as such."
Bailey said her knowledge of Podmore's mistreatment in the programme came via witnessing her former husband discussing the young athlete at home among a "boys' club" of other coaches and some health practitioners, and through what Podmore later disclosed to her.
Bailey told the court that the athlete her former husband was having an affair with would disclose private information about Podmore through their friendship and pass it on to the coach.
She said the pair continued to victimise the young cyclist even after the coach left Cycling NZ in mid-2018.
After leaving the organisation, the coach linked up with another international programme and continued to coach the athlete he was in a relationship with remotely. Bailey told the court the athlete would occasionally fly out to join the coach overseas for training blocks.
"[The coach's] ongoing connection with CNZ through [the athlete] meant that an undertone of bullying and prejudice continued despite his resignation."
'Boys' club'
Bailey also gave evidence that the young cyclist believed information she told Cycling NZ health practitioners in confidence was reported back to the coach.
Bailey said she was troubled by the approach of one health practitioner in particular, who she observed had a close relationship with her ex-husband and formed part of "the boys club" of coaching and support staff.
She described Podmore's openness with the health practitioner as a "double-edged sword".
"In one sense it provided awareness of the difficulties she was facing. However, I'm also aware that this information regularly went further than it should have, resulting in Olivia being ostracised, vilified and bullied by coaches and teammates," she said.
"[The practitioner] would tell [the coach] about confidential discussions that took place in these sessions. [The coach] would tell other members of the team, all of which would be used against Olivia in training."
Bailey said in her opinion the practitioner, who has interim name suppression, did not "exercise within the professional bounds of confidentiality and patient care".
The inquest has been set down for three weeks, with more than 25 witnesses expected to give evidence.
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
