Olivia Podmore bullying claims: Cycling boss saw 'no tangible value' in taking action

This story discusses mental health and suicide. A list of helplines is available at the bottom of the page.

The former head of Cycling NZ told Olivia Podmore that he saw "no tangible value" in pursuing disciplinary action against those alleged to have harmed her.

The revelation came on day three of an inquest into the death of the Rio Olympian. The 24-year-old died in a suspected suicide in August 2021 - the day after the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics.

The Coroner's Court in Hamilton on Wednesday heard from former Cycling NZ chief executive Andrew Matheson, who led the organisation during a critical period of 2014-2018 when serious conduct and cultural issues emerged in the high performance programme.

The issues were explored in detail in an independent inquiry into Cycling NZ in 2018, carried out by Mike Heron.

After producing his final written report, which detailed a litany of cultural and leadership failures and athlete welfare concerns, the court heard Heron wrote a separate, confidential letter to Matheson outlining issues that may "give rise to further action".

Among the additional concerns raised by Heron were allegations Podmore was bullied by two of her teammates in July 2016.

In response to information regarding the bullying incident raised by Heron, Matheson wrote a letter to Podmore in December 2018 advising her he did not believe it necessary to take any further action.

"I made the decision that there was no tangible value in treating this matter as a disciplinary matter," Matheson wrote.

He went on to add that he had instructed head sprint coach Rene Wolff to work with Podmore and the other athletes involved to discuss the issues and "draw a line under the alleged incident".

"Rene has informed me he has commenced this process, therefore on behalf of Cycling NZ, I am declaring this matter formally closed."

Former Cycling NZ campaign manager Jess Massey told the court on Monday that Podmore was "furious" with the response.

The letter was sent only two months after the release of the Heron report, which found that Cycling NZ's high performance programme did not adequately protect the welfare of athletes and others involved; a lack of accountability and effective leadership in the programme and a reluctance to surface issues.

Joshua Shaw, the counsel assisting the Coroner, asked how Matheson's informal approach to dealing with bullying allegations squared with the recommendations of the Heron report, which "should have been ringing in everyone's ears".

Shaw submitted that declining to take the bullying allegations further "arguably lacked accountability or proper consideration for athlete welfare".

Matheson told the court he did not recall the letter he sent to Podmore, but accepted it appears his approach did not align with the recommendations of the report.

Matheson said he was suffering from burnout during 2018, and was "physically and mentally worn out" and did not remember any details of what actions he took to minimise or reduce the risk of bullying towards Podmore.

"I can't answer that. As I have alluded to previously I was pretty unwell at the time … my mental health was not great … maybe the decision [not to investigate] was wrong."

Earlier Matheson told the court that he did not have any evidence of an inappropriate relationship existing between a coach and athlete until April 2018 - nearly two years after the "Bordeaux incident" in which the affair was first exposed.

The inquest has heard evidence this week that Podmore had been subjected to routine bullying and intimidation by the coach and athlete in the New Zealand sprint team since July 2016 after inadvertently discovering the pair were in a relationship during a training camp in Bordeaux - three weeks out from the Rio Olympic Games.

The scandal was the central controversy covered in Heron's 2018 inquiry.

Despite an internal investigation being carried out into the Bordeaux incident and conduct issues at the Rio Olympics, Matheson said he did not have evidence to take any further action against the coach until Podmore lodged a formal complaint after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"I was clearly aware of rumours, and I think probably the most vivid memory I have was with the ex-chair of Cycling NZ who gave me a call in mid-2017, but we did not have any real evidence that demonstrated that relationship," Matheson said.

"The [2018] meeting with Olivia was the first real evidence we had to work with, and that was captured in the Heron report as well."

However, during questioning Shaw pointed out that the Heron report contained an email exchange between Matheson and former chairperson Simon Perry, which stated a confidential informant had confirmed the relationship between the coach and athlete.

"I have spoken first hand with the informant and confirmed that the circumstances described are factual … Something serious to deal with, the ripple effect is significant," the email read.

Matheson responded: "Thanks for following up in relation to the conduct discussion. I have also been doing quite a bit of digging today. It is looking like there has been quite a fair degree of covering up".

Asked by Shaw what his "digging" back in May 2017 had uncovered, Matheson responded that he could not recall.

Matheson also could not recall what further steps were taken to act on the information.

The former chief executive's lack of recall was a persistent theme throughout his testimony on Wednesday. When asked about several critical reports, meetings and conversations regarding Podmore's wellbeing and the conduct of the coach, Matheson repeatedly drew a blank.

Matheson said he had no knowledge of the coach's "unrelenting bullying" towards Podmore, including an incident at the Rio Olympics when he refused to wheel her to the startline of her races as she "didn't deserve to be in the team" and commenting on the size of her bottom.

Asked what he would have done if he had known about such bullying, Matheson said: "It would depend on the context ... I guess we'd have to deal with that as a breach of code of conduct".

Matheson, who is now a general manager at High Performance Sport NZ, said he also could not recall reports sent by former Cycling NZ campaign manager Jess Massey, which raised issues about the "unethical behaviour" and "misconduct" of the coach.

In her evidence to the coronial inquest, Massey said following the Bordeaux incident, she began the practice of putting all her observations in writing so there was a written account of issues.

"I had drafted a number of reports where my observations and recommendations featured, none of which were implemented by CNZ. Andrew's only suggestion was that I make a formal statement, however, I could not understand how my reports were not deemed 'formal', nor did I have any guarantee about how this statement were to be treated if I did write one."

Asked by Hamish Evans, counsel for Podmore's father Phil and brother Mitchell, whether reflecting on his time with Cycling NZ if he would approach anything differently, Matheson said with hindsight, he would have approached the Rio debrief process differently.

"That may have played out quite differently if we'd done it a different way."

Contentious selection meeting

On Tuesday the court heard from Podmore's friend and former flatmate Andrew McLean, who acted as the support person for the young cyclist at the appeal meeting.

McLean told the inquest that Cycling NZ officials acted in an "arrogant, mean and defensive" manner towards Podmore at the meeting when she sought answers for her non-selection.

McLean also gave evidence that the lawyer acting for Cycling NZ at the meeting told Podmore that she had a right to appeal to the Sports Tribunal, but doing so could "affect her relationship" with the national body in the future.

On Wednesday, the lawyer gave evidence disputing McLean's account.

The lawyer told the court that when they outlined the appeals process to Podmore during the meeting, it became apparent that McLean was not familiar with the process or the workings of the Sports Tribunal, and they wanted to ensure the then 23 year-old cyclist was clear on what it entailed.

The lawyer said that they conveyed to Podmore that it was a difficult and stressful process for both the athlete and the national body.

"I didn't say that the appeals process would affect the relationship between those two parties," the lawyer told the court.

"I was really surprised to read Andrew's statements and the statements of Olivia's mum and dad of what Olivia had said to them."

Under cross examination, the lawyer accepted that while it wasn't their intent to dissuade Podmore from appealing, the comment about the stressful nature of the appeals process could be perceived that way.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have said that, because it appears it has been misinterpreted," they said.

The lawyer became emotional when asked about the challenges selection disputes pose for both the athlete and the organisation.

"The coaches put their heart and soul into these athletes every day, the athletes train their [butts] off to be where they are.

"Every case I've been involved in, the athletes generally in these situations are this close to going, and it's really hard as a lawyer to watch that and be objective. But it is a really cut throat environment.

"Believe me, I have thought really hard about [less adversarial] ways we can work through this, and I will continue to do this, I feel it is beholden on me in the role I have."

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