- Olivia Podmore committed suicide in August 2021
- Inquest has revealed Kiwi star was allegedly bullied
A coronial inquest into the death of former New Zealand Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore has heard shattering testimony from her parents and revealed shocking instances of alleged bullying after she inadvertently exposed an affair between a coach and another athlete in the lead-up to the Rio Games.
Podmore, 24, took her own life in Waikato the day after the Tokyo Games concluded in August 2021.
The track cyclist had failed to qualify for the Games and posted a chilling message on Instagram about the pressures of competing at international level hours before her death.
She also left a heartbreaking final message to family and friends after accidentally exposing the affair by sending a text message reporting that the athlete had not returned to the team hotel and was missing after going for a bike ride during a training camp in France six weeks before the Rio Olympics.
The athlete then allegedly returned to the hotel in a taxi with the coach.
The inquest heard Podmore was allegedly subjected to abuse from a coach who berated her sex life, who also on occasion allegedly whispered in her ear before races ‘just don’t f***ing crash’.
A coronial inquest into the death of former New Zealand Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore (pictured) has revealed she endured shocking instances of alleged bullying
Podmore, 24 (pictured with her mother Nienke) took her own life in Waikato the day after the Tokyo Olympics concluded in August of 2021
Her death was confirmed hours after Podmore outlined the pressures of competing at the highest level in a chilling final Instagram post
Additionally, the inquest heard other teammates allegedly sent bullying texts ordering Podmore to ‘keep your trap shut’ and labelled her a ‘mental case’.
Her parents both broke down in tears as they told the hearing about the loss of their beloved daughter.
‘It’s now been three years and eight months since the worst day of my life,’ her mother Nienke Middleton said.
‘That day I had no idea why Livi took her own life.
‘The first I heard that Livi had been having health struggles was from [Sport NZ boss] Raelene Castle and Jacques Landry [former Cycling New Zealand CEO] on a television interview the next day.
‘People ask us what it’s like, does the pain face and have we managed to move on?
‘The answer is always no to these questions, we just live with it. I miss Livi just as much as the day I lost her.’
Podmore’s father Phil also revealed his devastation, saying, ‘We will always be proud of Liv and amazed at the courage she showed, lasting as long as she did throughout all of this.
Olivia Podmore is pictured competing in the women’s sprint event at the Track Cycling World Cup in Brisbane in 2019
‘We love her dearly and know she will live on through all the people she positively influenced in her short but wonderful life.’
According to the New Zealand Herald, lawyers acting on behalf of Cycling NZ and High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) looked to emphasise Podmore’s personal issues away from cycling, notably an abortion she had when she was a teenager and her parents’ separation.
Both organisations flagged these as significant contributors to Podmore’s mental deterioration.
In a closing submission, HPSNZ apologised for ‘distressing experiences Olivia endured’ and acknowledged the behaviour Podmore was subjected to was ‘unacceptable.’
Cycling NZ chief executive Simon Peterson also offered his apology in relation to what Podmore endured during the 2016-18 period surrounding the Bordeaux training camp controversy.
As the inquest reached its final day, Podmore’s mother Nienke Middleton stated that ‘culture starts from the top’ and in her view, ‘plenty is still left to do in order to achieve the real changes (that are) needed.’
Podmore competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio after picking up silver and bronze medals in the junior world championships in Astana in 2015.
She won the national keirin champion title in 2017 and also competed at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in the sprint, team sprint and keirin events.
If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, for free confidential support.
