1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: A warning that this podcast contains discussion around suicide. You 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: can find support services in our show notes. Kyota. I'm 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a daily 4 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. On August ninth, 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, the day after the Tokyo Olympics ended, 6 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: cyclist Olivia Podmore died in a suspected suicide. She had 7 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: represented New Zealand the twenty sixteen Olympics but was not selected. 8 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: Five years later, her death sent shock waves through the 9 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: close knit cycling community and wider sporting network and the 10 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: culture at cycling and Z was eventually investigated. Now over 11 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: three years later, a coronial inquiry and Podmore's death is 12 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: due to begin today. And then Herald reported Tom Delaine 13 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: has been covering the story for the last three years 14 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: and joins us now on the front page to discuss 15 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: Olivia Podmore's life, career and her tragic death. So, Tom, 16 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: can you give us a brief overview of Olivia's career 17 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: prior and her rise to the top. 18 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, So, as anyone in a New Zealand national sporting team, 19 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: she was a talented young athlete. 20 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 3: She grew up in christ Church. 21 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: Her mother Ninky, said that she always had a fairly 22 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 2: care free attitude to her cycling in her junior years. 23 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: She had obvious talents. 24 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: And that sort of care free attitude, she said, actually 25 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 2: she thought helped her in the early days. She didn't 26 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: get two worked up about the competition, she didn't overtrain, 27 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: and that relaxed attitude helped her in junior competitions. She 28 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: moved in to become a sprint cyclist, so you know, 29 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: nerves and seconds counted in that kind of competition. She 30 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: had a bit of a sporting pedigree as well. So 31 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 2: both her parents were keen cyclists and her great grandfather 32 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 2: was actually an Olympic weightlifter in the nineteen twenty eight Olympics. 33 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: So yeah, after finishing school at seventeen, so she went 34 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 2: straight in to train at the High Performance Sport New 35 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 2: Zealand Center in Cambridge, and she made the twenty sixteen 36 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: Reo Olympics when she was nineteen. She was selected for 37 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: three sprint events there. But it was somewhat it was 38 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: a turbulent experience those those twenty sixteen games. In her 39 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 2: own words, she describes the experiences well, she describes it 40 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: as it wasn't a great experience for me. She's somewhat 41 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 2: underperformed in the events, and she had quite a dramatic 42 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: crash in the twenty sixteen Olympics where she was knocked 43 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: out for about forty five seconds, she says, and she 44 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: rode straight after that in another event directly after being concussed, 45 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: and that she didn't perform well understandably in that next event. 46 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: So she had a quick introduction into the Olympic sports, 47 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 2: as I guess a lot of cyclists are quite young 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: when they performed. But yeah, quick introduction to the Olympic sport. 49 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 2: But yeah, as a youth, quite quite relaxed about the sport. 50 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: So fast forward to twenty twenty one. At what point 51 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: does she learn that she's not going to be selected 52 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: to go to Tokyo. 53 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: The twenty twenty Tokyo Games were delayed obviously a year 54 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: due to COVID, so they actually happened in twenty twenty one, 55 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: and that made the selection process more drawn out. She 56 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 2: wasn't selected technically, She found out she wasn't selected in 57 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: August twenty twenty, but the team selection was dragged out 58 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: for a year longer. There was a bunch of complicating 59 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 2: factors around her non selection in the team. It's all 60 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: sort of draws back to the twenty sixteen Games, where 61 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 2: you know her place within Cycling New Zealand sort of 62 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: surrounded by controversy. It's all come out since since her death. 63 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 2: Podmore was caught up in a significant event that happened 64 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 2: in the training camp prior to the twenty sixteen Rio 65 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: Games that were in Bordeaux, France, six weeks out from 66 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: those Rio Games. So basically a night out among the 67 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: athletes and the coaches left Podmore without a roommate in 68 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: the early hours of the morning. So she was nineteen 69 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 2: years old then, so she reported to management at Cycling 70 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 2: New Zealand the missing athlete. So by Podmore reporting that 71 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: a member of the Cycling New Zealand team hadn't come 72 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 2: home that night, that kicked off a process by basically 73 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 2: exposing that this athlete was in a relationship with a 74 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 2: Cycling New Zealand coach. That whole controversy, which which sort 75 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 2: of begun right before the twenty sixteen Games, then eventually 76 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 2: led into a whole inquiry within Cycling New Zealand. Following 77 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: the twenty sixteen Olympics, so basically during that period she 78 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: was caught up in this inquiry and it's since been 79 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 2: exposed with a herald exposed. 80 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:48,799 Speaker 3: Following her death. 81 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 2: That Podmore has understood to be an athlete that was 82 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: pressured to lie during that inquiry was a twenty eighteen 83 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: inquiry by Mike Herron, so that was reported in the 84 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 2: inquiry that didn't name pod So she had already been 85 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 2: pressured to lie within this inquiry around a relationship between 86 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: a coach at Cycling New Zealand and an athlete. Following that, 87 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: there's perceptions that she was marginalized within the High Performance 88 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: Sport Cambridge camp following that inquiry. So the twenty eighteen 89 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 2: Heron report found that there was favoritism from Peden to 90 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 2: the athlete in which she was in a inappropriate relationship 91 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 2: with people close to her. Yeah, as I said, felt 92 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 2: that Podmore was marginalized within the camp following her involvement 93 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: in that inquiry. 94 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 3: So that was all in the background. 95 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 2: She was also given a twenty thousand grand sporting grant 96 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 2: for welfare reasons and the lead up to twenty eighteen 97 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, and there was a whole lot of issues 98 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 2: with her own performance during that period. To complicate matters 99 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: even further, her partner in some of the sprint events 100 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: that she was attempting to be selected for the twenty 101 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 2: twenty Tokyo Games, Tesha Hansen, was also in a legal 102 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 2: dispute with Cycling New Zealand over perceived obstacles in the 103 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 2: selection path for her after they were initially rejected in 104 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen from make the team. So anyway, in short, 105 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: there was a whole lot of build up and hurdles 106 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 2: that Podma had to face to get to the Tokyo Olympics. 107 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: A lot of her friends and family felt that she 108 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 2: was unfairly treated in not making the team, but she didn't. 109 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 4: We've lost a sister, a friend, and a fighter. Olivia 110 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 4: may have been the girl that you saw at the supermarket, 111 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 4: at the gym, on the track on TV. She was 112 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 4: loved and will be sorely missed. 113 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: So today marks the start of the coronial inquest into 114 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: Olivia's death. How long is this set to run for 115 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: and what's it expected to cover? 116 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 3: So it's set to run for three weeks. 117 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 2: So in a technical sense, Corona's conduct inquiries to determine 118 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 2: the cause and circumstances of death and to identify ways 119 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 2: to prevent similar death in the future. In terms of 120 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 2: the pod More inquiry, there'll be more than twenty five 121 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: witnesses are expected to be called during the three weeks. 122 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: That'll include former coaches of Podmore, past and present leaders 123 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: of Cycling New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand, 124 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: and also health professionals who treated Podmore. There's a number 125 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: of non publication orders around names of health professionals and 126 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: various people in a professional sense that were involved in Podmore, 127 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: but there'll all be witnesses also speaking. Podmore's father Phil 128 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: and her brother Mitchell, who participated in the inquest. They've 129 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: never publicly spoken since Olivia's death, and I spoke to 130 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: Phil in twenty twenty one after his daughter's death and 131 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: he was He always maintained that he wouldn't speak publicly 132 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 2: until the coronial inquiry, so it's taken three years to 133 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 2: get to this point, but he'll be there. And also 134 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 2: Olivia's mum, Kay, who's spoken a lot publicly since since 135 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: her daughter's death and been highly critical of Cycling New Zealand. Yeah, 136 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 2: in terms of what it's going to traverse the inquiry, 137 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 2: you know. Basically, it'll be looking at the conditions within 138 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 2: Cycling New Zealand and High Performance Sport and her medical 139 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 2: care and how that environment contributed to her suspected suicide. 140 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 2: There was a previous inquiry that began at the end 141 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 2: of twenty twenty one that was again conducted by Casey 142 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 2: Mike Caron who did the twenty eighteen inquiry into culture 143 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 2: at Cycling New Zealand. It's hard not to see that 144 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: inquiri as I mean, it's clearly a direct result of 145 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,239 Speaker 2: Podmore's death. But technically that inquiry into Cycling New Zealand 146 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 2: could not really delve into the individual circumstances and factors 147 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 2: that led to Podmore's death. It had to be focused 148 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 2: more around the culture of the organization. So this coronial 149 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: inquiry can delve directly into the personal circumstances of Olivia's 150 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 2: experience there and treatment there. Also integral to the coronal 151 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 2: inquiry as Olivia's medical records until now i've not been 152 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 2: made public, been told by Ninki, her mum and her 153 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: Nick's partner Chris Middleton, is over a thousand documents that 154 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 2: they obtained from High Performance Sport in New Zealand and 155 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 2: proves to be pretty disturbing reading from what I've been told, 156 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 2: So her treatment and truman by coaches and medical records 157 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:20,199 Speaker 2: will come out in this coronial inquiry. 158 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: You mentioned Mike Heron's report into Cycling New Zealand that 159 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: was ordered after Olivia's death. It found a number of 160 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: cultural and structural deficiencies at the sporting organization which prioritizes 161 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: medals over well being. What were some of those revelations. 162 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that was sort of the defining catchphrase that 163 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 2: came out of that finding an organization that prioritizes medals 164 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 2: over well being. In summary of the findings was a 165 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 2: damning report. Most alarming among the findings was athletes had 166 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 2: a sense of a fear of reprisals for raising issues 167 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 2: with coaches and management. There was also a lot of 168 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: criticism of the centralized high performance base in Cambridge that 169 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 2: carries a risk for athlete well being, and Heron concluded 170 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 2: that that having that base, you know, in Cambridge, where 171 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 2: athletes from all around the country would travel to away 172 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 2: from their families and live and train, that system should 173 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 2: be entirely reconsidered. Also, a lack of transparency around selection 174 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 2: at Cycling New Zealand for you know, Olympics and big 175 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 2: events was highlighted as problematic and a funding model at 176 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 2: odds with well being. The Hearon Report released in twenty 177 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: twenty two. It also found a lack of appropriate women's 178 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 2: health support and a reliance on traditional mail networks, particularly 179 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 2: within the coaching environment where there was a lack of 180 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 2: women and diversity, and Podmore's coaches herself were the direct 181 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 2: ones for her were men. 182 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 1: It's been over two years since that report came out, 183 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 1: to your understanding, has there been much change in the 184 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: organization since then? 185 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, so there was. 186 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 2: There has been a at least publiclyff fit amongst Sport 187 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 2: New Zealand high Performance Sport New Zealand to have athlete 188 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 2: well being more center front and center in terms of 189 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: how they structure their you know, their system, their runs 190 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 2: towards big events like like Olympics and that sort of thing. 191 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: At the end of twenty twenty one, you know, just 192 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,959 Speaker 2: months after Olivia's death, High Performance Sport in New Zealand 193 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 2: confirmed it would be funding seven point four million dollars 194 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 2: to athlete well being initiatives over the next three years. 195 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 2: So that was I guess, you know, significant tangible progress 196 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 2: in terms of, you know, focusing on athlete well being 197 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 2: over just results, and the CEO of High Performance Sport 198 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 2: in New Zealand and Sport in New Zealand, Railing Castle, 199 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 2: said that they would be working with the national sporting 200 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: organizations to improve mental health literacy in athlete and having 201 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 2: an athlete voice throughout the system. 202 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 3: So yeah, I mean they have been conscious of. 203 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 2: It and there has been more initiatives to have athlete 204 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 2: input into how they're doing at these various sporting organizations. 205 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 2: Whether that's translated to better athlete wellbeing, it's hard to measure. 206 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 5: It stings a lot that she's not here now, like 207 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 5: she should have been up there with us, but she's 208 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 5: just taught us so much and she's with all of 209 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 5: us every single day. Yeah, I think it's so hard 210 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 5: to put into words. It's definitely how much it is 211 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 5: a much nicer place to be here now. But we've 212 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 5: always had a great support crew. 213 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. Things interesting when coronial inquests like this come out 214 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: because they do happen years after the event, years after 215 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: the death, and once we get to the results of 216 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,439 Speaker 1: the coronial inquest, which we won't know, we don't get 217 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: a date exactly of when we get the results of 218 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: the coronial inquest or the report. It seems to me 219 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: like organizations have that act stop of saying, oh, well, 220 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: in the years after we did this, we did this, 221 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: we did this. But do you think given the secrecy 222 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: and they haven't been transparent in any of this either, 223 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: that a lot of dirty laundry that we haven't seen 224 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: will come out in this inquest and they don't they 225 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: won't have that option of saying we've done this, this, 226 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: and this, because that may not be enough. 227 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think in terms of obviously three weeks, 228 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 2: there's a lot of material that's going to come out 229 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 2: in that in that time, and it's clear from speaking 230 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 2: to friends and family that she was getting psychological help 231 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 2: within the organization, and that will be delved into in 232 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: some detail, and whether there was appropriate duty of care 233 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 2: from the organization around her. Certainly, speaking to friends of 234 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: hers in the year before she died or when she'd 235 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 2: found out that she wasn't making the Olympic team, they 236 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 2: were pretty they were totally clear that she was really 237 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 2: struggling mentally during that period and she was getting psychological 238 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 2: help through at least the organization. Cycling New Zealand and 239 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 2: High Performance Sports were aware that she was dealing with 240 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 2: these issues, and as I said, there's over a thousand documents, 241 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 2: help medical documents that are going to be explored in 242 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 2: the inquiry, so you know, hard to believe there won't 243 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 2: be some pretty concerning details brought out about the state 244 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 2: she was in. Also delving into the coaching environment within 245 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 2: the organization, so we've The Herald wrote about the toxic 246 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 2: culture that was in place at Cycling New Zealand in 247 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 2: the years prior to the twenty twenty Tokyo twenty twenty 248 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 2: one happened in twenty twenty one, but the the Olympic 249 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 2: cycle leading up to those games exposed a lot of 250 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 2: toxic cultural elements to selection around the coaches there at 251 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: the time. The lead sprint coach German Renee Wolfe and 252 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 2: also the head selector for Cycling New Zealand Martin barras 253 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 2: two coaches that some of their coaching style was heavily 254 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 2: criticized by other athletes within the organization. Following Podmore's death, 255 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 2: she obviously wasn't selected and both those coaches were removed 256 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: from the organization or resigned, is the official line within 257 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 2: about six months of Podmore's death. So I think that 258 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 2: the depth of an unhealthy environment within cycling New Zealand 259 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 2: will be, you would hope, will be laid bare in 260 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: the inquiry in a lot more detail than we've had before. 261 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: Tom, you've been following this story for three years now. 262 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: I remember you wrote this big feature at the end 263 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty one about Olivia talking to her friends 264 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: and family about her and her life. What are some 265 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 1: of their memories that stick out to you? 266 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that process of doing that feature took 267 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 2: months and spoke to a lot of people connected with her. 268 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 2: I was struck by what a popular person she was 269 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 2: and what a wide network of people she had. And 270 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 2: I guess you know that these after someone's death in 271 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 2: a suspected suicide, people always you know, it's not pretty 272 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 2: common narrative to hear that people didn't see the warning 273 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: signs and that sort of thing. 274 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 3: Some people knew she was dealing with issues. 275 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 2: I know the start of that that days before she died, 276 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 2: she was out skiing with former Olympic roller Eric Murray 277 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 2: and another close friend of hers. I think she lived 278 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: with him in Cambridge and they describe having this great 279 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 2: fun weekend. This was literally days before she died, and 280 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 2: just how that, you know, just that not really saying 281 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 2: that the magnitude of what was about to happen. Well, 282 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 2: also being somewhat aware of her struggles. I mean, you know, 283 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 2: it's interesting delving into a person's personal history like I 284 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 2: did for that piece. Rereading it today, you just realize 285 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 2: all the things she had to deal with as well. 286 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 2: We you know, we traverses a little bit of her 287 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 2: recreational drug use in the last year. Also just the 288 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 2: situation she had to deal with her whole life. She 289 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 2: had an abortion as a teenager, all the chaos that 290 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 2: was that she was caught up with in cycling New Zealand. 291 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 3: I guess. 292 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, it's twofold. The memories from them, 293 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 2: a lot of them were quite heartbreaking in terms of 294 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 2: the stuff she'd had to deal with. But also she 295 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: seemed like a person, a very affable, friendly person who 296 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 2: you know, was obviously struggling with a lot, but also 297 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,160 Speaker 2: you know, very talented and had a lot of friendships 298 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 2: in her life. And yeah, I guess this inquiry, I 299 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 2: guess will be focusing in a way. It's an opportunity 300 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 2: to focus on her as a person more than obviously 301 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 2: the institutional negligence that perhaps contributed to her death would 302 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 2: be delved into. But you know, there's going to be 303 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 2: interviews with family members and it's really focused on her. 304 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 2: That is, by definition what this is. So it'll be 305 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 2: an opportunity to delve into her personal issues and I 306 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 2: guess to some extent you'll get insight into the kind. 307 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 3: Of person she is. 308 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Tom, Thank you. That's it for 309 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: this episode of the Front Page. You can read more 310 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,199 Speaker 1: about today's stories and extensive news coverage at NZ Herald 311 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: dot co dot MZ. The Front Page is produced by 312 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: Ethan Sills and Richard Martin, who is also a sound engineer. 313 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to The Front Page on iHeartRadio 314 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow 315 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: for another look behind the headlines.