logo
Olivia Podmore inquest: Hearing to resume following lengthy adjournment

Olivia Podmore inquest: Hearing to resume following lengthy adjournment

RNZ News21-04-2025

Photo:
Diane Mason / Composite RNZ
This story discusses mental health and suicide. A list of helplines is available at the bottom of the page.
The coronial inquest into the death of Olympic sprint cyclist Olivia Podmore resumes in Christchurch on Tuesday following an abrupt halt to the proceedings last year.
The three-week inquest before Coroner Louella Dunn was originally set to wrap in early December, however, the hearing was
adjourned in the final week to allow a continuation of evidence
.
RNZ is unable to report the reasons for the need for a continuation.
The shock death of the young athlete in August 2021 was referred to the Hamilton Coroner's Court. However, the remaining three days of the inquest will be heard in Christchurch, where Podmore's family is from, to help ease some of the financial burden on them.
The court will this week hear further evidence from forensic psychiatrist Dr Erik Monasterio, the independent expert witness.
It is also expected Podmore's family will give their final statements to the court.
Podmore's mother, Nienke Middleton, described the first three weeks of the hearing as "emotionally draining", but she was relieved that after two major inquiries into Cycling NZ and High Performance Sport NZ, her daughter's harrowing experiences were finally coming to light.
Here's what we've learned so far at the inquest:
During the first week of the inquest the court heard evidence
Podmore was subjected to "relentless" bullying and intimidation
after unwittingly exposing an affair between a coach and athlete during a training camp in Bordeaux - three weeks out from the Rio Olympic Games.
The teen was pressured to lie to protect the coach and athlete, and was blamed for causing disruption to the camp in the lead-up to the Games.
Nicholle Bailey, the ex-wife of the disgraced coach, gave evidence the coach refused to wheel Podmore to the startline before her races at the Olympics 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'."
Nicholle Bailey giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Olivia Podmore in December 2024.
Photo:
Mark Jephson / Stuff
Bailey said her former husband continued to target Podmore after the team returned from the Games.
"[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," said Bailey.
Despite what one health practitioner termed as a
"serious breach in athlete safeguarding" in the build-up to the Rio Olympics
, Cycling NZ did not take any further action against the coach until nearly two years later.
Former Cycling NZ chief executive Andrew Matheson
told the court he did not have evidence to take formal action until Podmore, worn down by two years of "mental abuse" lodged a complaint after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
"I was clearly aware of rumours ... but we did not have any real evidence that demonstrated that relationship," Matheson said.
Andrew Matheson led Cycling NZ from 2014-2018.
Photo:
Photosport
However, former Cycling NZ team manager Jess Massey gave evidence that she had been formally documenting concerns about "ethical and behavioural issues" involving the coach for more than two years prior to the Bordeaux incident.
The court also heard evidence of an email sent by former Cycling NZ chair Simon Perry in mid-2017, which referenced an "anonymous informant", who confirmed the inappropriate 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.
Podmore's complaint eventually led to an independent inquiry into Cycling NZ headed by former solicitor general Mike Heron KC.
The court heard Podmore
told a health practitioner in January 2021 that she was having thoughts of taking her own life
.
She told the practitioner she felt flat, both physically and mentally since endometriosis surgery in October 2020 and that she sometimes wondered if she would be better off dead.
"I was very concerned obviously. That's the first time she'd presented with any thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and that's a very serious thing to say," the practitioner wrote in his evidence.
He queried whether she had made any plans or searched methods, which she had not, and discussed a safety plan including who to call if she had the thoughts again.
Olivia Podmore died in August 2021 in a suspected suicide.
Photo:
Photosport
Two health practitioners treating Podmore also testified that it was recognised that the Tokyo Olympic Games - which the sprint cyclist missed selection for - would be a difficult time for the young athlete. Plans were made for Podmore to receive additional support during the Games period, but the first check-in was not scheduled until August 6 - two days out from the closing ceremony.
Podmore cancelled the appointment as she was away down in Queenstown snowboarding at the time. Three days later the practitioner received the tragic news that Podmore had died in a suspected suicide.
"More assertive steps should have been taken" when Podmore first reported suicidal ideation, according to independent expert witness
Dr Erik Monasterio, an independent expert witness
, told the court when Podmore's state of mind deteriorated to expressing suicidal thoughts, health practitioners should have considered more interventions.
"Given her known history of having been considered a whistleblower, given the stress in her relationship with the sporting bodies, and what seems to me to be a fairly pervasive pattern of fluctuating but definite deterioration in mental state, more assertive steps should have been taken at that time."
Monasterio said suicidal ideation to deal with stress, especially at a young age, was not a normal response and should have been a warning flag - especially as it was a new response in January 2021.
Dr Monasterio also told the court there appeared to be a widespread lack of recognition among Cycling NZ officials and medical staff about the impact being a "whistleblower" had on Podmore's wellbeing.
"Here is a young woman, who, at a very early age, finds herself in a very stressful situation," Dr Monasterio said.
Dr Erik Monasterio, a forensic psychiatrist, is assisting coroner Louella Dunn as an independent expert witness.
Photo:
Pool / NZME - Mike Scott
"It's interesting that this concept of her being a whistleblower isn't identified as a key issue, and the reason I say that is that the impact of whistleblowing is relatively well understood in science and in clinical practice, and it's very sad to say, that people who whistle blow don't do well.
"She did not receive any assistance to try to come to terms and manage the impact of the whistleblowing, which carried quite a burden for her."
Dr Monasterio's evidence will continue this week.
After Podmore's death, HPSNZ launched another major inquiry into Cycling NZ and the wider system.
Cycling NZ's current chief executive, Simon Peterson, gave evidence the
sport has undergone a marked cultural transformation since the findings of the second inquiry were published
.
Peterson said one of the biggest developments he has seen during his time at the organisation is the appointment of a fulltime people and culture manager.
The Cycling NZ boss said when an issue is reported by an athlete, the people and culture manager "immediately removes the conversation from the HP space and says 'what is best for the person' not the programme".
"It's been a game changer in terms of bringing issues to the fore."
Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said Podmore's "very real legacy" can be seen in the many reforms the government agency has undertaken in the wake of the young athlete's tragic death.
She highlighted changes to the Tailored Athlete Pathway Support (TAPS) system as something that has made a "significant difference" in athletes' lives.
Castle said TAPS payments to athletes increased in 2024 to $50,000 per year for those on an elite training grant, and $25,000 for athletes on a potential training grant.
"The most significant change is that most of the elite grants will now be guaranteed for four years to give athletes more certainty around how long they are going to be funded for, and this was instigated on the back of consultation with our athlete voice groups."
Castle also pointed to other reforms including beefing up record keeping, improving the organisation's electronic health systems, education programmes for coaches, and a greater focus on women's health as being evidence of her organisation's commitment to wellbeing.
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.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Snow sports lead nominations
Snow sports lead nominations

Otago Daily Times

time6 hours ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Snow sports lead nominations

Could snow sports be in line for more silverware tonight? The sport has been recognised for another glittering year across multiple disciplines with nine nominations at the Otago Sports Awards at the Edgar Centre tonight. Freeskier Luca Harrington, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and alpine skier Alice Robinson lead the charge with nominations for sportsman and sportswoman of the year respectively. After starting the season as an X Games alternate, Harrington has something of a breakout year with a remarkable five world cup podiums, X Games gold, a world championship and New Zealand's first FIS Freeski Crystal Globe. Sadowski-Synnott was also back to her very best, returning from injury. She secured several world cup podium finishes, landed the the world's first triple cork in a women's slopestyle competition and won the FIS Snowboarding Crystal Globe. Robinson continued her stellar form with podium finishes and was named Snow Sports New Zealand athlete of the year. Freeskiers Ruby Star Andrews, Finley Melville Ives and Rocco Jamieson are also up for junior awards after their strong seasons on the world circuit. Stalwart alpine skier Adam Hall has been nominated for para athlete/team of the year, and Sean Thompson (snowboarding) and Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (alpine ski racing) are nominated for coach of the year. But the judging panel of Sport Otago chief executive James Nation, Otago Academy of Sport manager Carmel Leslie, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, TVNZ sports reporter Michelle Prendiville and University of Otago health sciences pro vice-chancellor Megan Gibbons will have had a tough task picking winners across some tightly contested categories. Olympic champion kayaker Finn Butcher and Black Caps all-rounder Glenn Phillips are up for sportsman of the year, and Olympic swimmer Erika Fairweather is up for sportswoman of the year. Cyclist James Gardner, long-distance runner Catherine Lund and netballer Ella Southby round out the finalists for junior sportsman and sportswoman of the year. Paralympians Anna Grimaldi and Holly Robinson are also finalists for para athlete/team of the year, and Grimaldi's coach Michael Jacobs is up for coach of the year. Team of the year will be another hotly contested category between the Otago Sparks cricketers, who won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, the Southern Stampede, who won the New Zealand men's ice hockey title again, and the Otago men's 4x100m relay team, New Zealand champions and Otago record breakers. The next generation of Otago's talent will also be recognised with Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling), Joel Paterson (ice hockey) nominated for emerging talent. Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket), James Doleman (rugby) are also finalists for official of the year. The services to sport, innovation in sport and supreme awards will be announced tonight. Former Otago Spark and White Fern Katey Martin, now a cricket commentator, is the guest speaker, while Melanie Kerr will MC the event again. Entertainment includes the Nga Wai o Pukehaukea kapa haka group, Otago Girls' singer Grace Tiko, and the Rasa School of Dance Allies crew, who are off to the world championships.

Auckland Grammar principal calls out Sport NZ over 'Year 14' athletes
Auckland Grammar principal calls out Sport NZ over 'Year 14' athletes

1News

time9 hours ago

  • 1News

Auckland Grammar principal calls out Sport NZ over 'Year 14' athletes

Auckland Grammar principal Tim O'Connor has challenged Sport NZ to take a stand on extra-year students returning to schools on sporting grounds. The issue of "Year 14" athletes has raised its head again, with Marlborough Boys' College admitting it had five such players in its First XV, which scored a historic – and controversial – win over Nelson College last month. That 28-26 result came after Marlborough were awarded a first-half penalty and, instead of aiming for the posts, the goalkicker struck for the corner, where one of his teammates chased it down for a try that was eventually awarded. O'Connor told RNZ that bringing students back for an extra year for sporting purposes was a distortion of their roles as educators and openly wondered where the national sporting administrators were in this debate. "Really, our role as principals and our role as schools is to educate young people," he said. "Sport NZ talks about balance is better, but where are they in this discussion? ADVERTISEMENT "They haven't come out to say, 'why are we allowing this to occur'? "I'd love to see them being more proactive and having the courage to speak up on this. "Perhaps there are organisations that want to turn a blind eye to what is the pathway for young men and rugby in this country frankly. We need to get beyond that." RNZ has approached Sport NZ for reaction to O'Connor's comments. Auckland's 1A competition has put is members on notice that Year 14 players will not be permitted from next season. O'Connor admits two of the 12 teams currently have two such players each on their rosters. "We discussed that at the beginning of the year and felt the fair thing to do was give everyone 12 months' notice, and then we wouldn't be allowing that to occur again." Earlier this year, the issue led to a ban on extra-year rowers at the prestigious Maadi Cup regatta at Lake Karapiro. ADVERTISEMENT School Sport NZ is now considering a total ban on the Year 14 athletes. "There is no doubt there is a distinct advantage – muscle co-ordination and technical ability – in a sixth-year student," O'Connor said. "They're taking away positions from students who are coming through their natural schooling years. "For example, Rieko Ioane could have returned – we could have encouraged him to return, because he would have met all the other criteria, and he could have returned to play rugby for another year, which would have been a huge advantage to our school. "Our view was Rieko should actually carry on with his life and move to the next stage, and we'd fully support him in doing so." Now an 81-test All Black, Ioane debuted for Auckland and the NZ sevens team the year after leaving Auckland Grammar, and made his test debut aged 19. O'Connor insisted his school would not take the field against Marlborough with their Year 14 players. "I don't know why there would be a reason to play them," he told RNZ. "I'd rather play in a competition where we know there is a level playing field and we're treating each other with respect. "In the 1A competition, mid-season, we have about six teams who could still win it – that's a great competition, that keeps it alive across multiple schools."

Call For Pope Leo To Issue Abuse Zero Tolerance Policy
Call For Pope Leo To Issue Abuse Zero Tolerance Policy

Scoop

time14 hours ago

  • Scoop

Call For Pope Leo To Issue Abuse Zero Tolerance Policy

Article – RNZ A Fijian abuse survivor is urging the new head of the Catholic church to adopt a zero tolerance policy for child sex abuse. Susana Suisuiki, Pacific Waves presenter/producer A Fijian abuse survivor is urging the new head of the Catholic church to adopt a zero tolerance policy for child sex abuse. Felix Fremlin was seven years old when he was molested by a New Zealand Marist Brother at his primary school in Suva. Although he had received a written apology and FJD$15,000 (approx US$6,680) in financial compensation from the Marist Brothers Order of New Zealand and the Pacific, Fremlin said it's not enough. Speaking to Pacific Waves, Fremlin said culture and faith prevents many people in the Pacific from speaking out. 'It's a Pacific island thing, everybody looks upon the church as messengers of God, and so for people to talk about it… it's a taboo thing,' he said. Seeking mental health support is also a struggle for Fremlin. 'So here, we don't have any specialists where survivors can go to for counselling. The church here has offered counselling but the counsellors here belong to the church itself. So when you go for counselling, you report back to the church.' Fremlin also expressed his dissatisfaction over Pope Leo's appointment as the new pontiff, claiming the former cardinal had allegedly concealed abuse cases of three women while he served as a bishop in Peru in 2022. However, Fremlin said the onus is now on Pope Leo to stand with abuse survivors, calling for him to enact the zero tolerance law. An earlier attempt was done in November 2024 when former Jesuit priest, Reverand Hans Zollner, joined abuse survivors at a press conference in Rome urging Pope Francis to apply the zero-tolerance law throughout the entire 1.4 billion-member church. The law would effectively remove any priests guilty of abuse from the ministry. For Fremlin, it's about taking concrete steps in protecting the most vulnerable. 'When survivors tried to seek or converse with the church, the church gives them the runaround, and always the lawyers,' he said. 'My experience in Fiji is that they bring up the lawyers and then they hide behind the lawyers you know, so I wish the pope would come on this – it's just something that he can put into law that the survivors can go to, without the church giving them the runarounds.' In a statement sent to RNZ Pacific, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference said significant work has been undertaken to 'promote a culture of awareness and vigilance'. An immediate risk assessment is carried out once a complainant in New Zealand comes forward. Any risk identified would result in the accused priest to step down. For those convicted of abuse, the conference said the policies in place would permanently remove them from the ministry. The conference also said that abuse survivors can seek a mental health counsellor of their choice. 'If they don't have already a counsellor, the church can provide them a list of counsellors to choose from – with some or all being people without ties to the church.' Even if Pope Leo was to eventually adopt a zero-tolerance policy, Fremlin said it'll do little to restore his faith in the church. 'It's like asking the cow to jump over the moon. It's very hard for [the survivors] to come out openly. 'We're just hoping for something concrete you know, written in black and white, that states they're doing something about it.' Pacific survivors deserve more justice – advocate A long-standing advocate of Pacific abuse survivors said they deserve more justice. Dr Murray Heasley, who was instrumental in Fremlin's case, said the payout that Fremlin and his brother John received is 'outrageous'. 'It's about dignity; it's about human rights,' he said. 'How can you be paying a fraction of the money to a Fijian survivor abused by a New Zealander in Fiji, particularly if you take into consideration some of the notion of the colonial background and the assumption of superiority of Western culture at the time… The colonial mentality seems to still be in place. 'If you happen to be a Fijian survivor that got sexually molested by a New Zealander, you're worth less as a human being? Than a Pasifika abused in New Zealand? Why the differentiation? 'It's absolutely outrageous and it has to be revisited now. The FMS Marist Brothers have massive resources.' The New Zealand Bishop Conference said each case that the church considers is unique and so is each response. Part of the response can include an ex gratia payment to a survivor as part of the 'healing process'. However, they also said that 'comparisons cannot be made between different cases across the various components of each process'. Last year, New Zealand journalist Pete McKenzie broke the story in the New York Times of how the Pacific was used as a 'dumping ground' for accused priests. Heasley said it was a 'standard procedure'. 'It's extremely common to shift predators around. It was called the geographic cure. It didn't cure anything. 'The worst predators were those who were fluent in the local language, Fiji and Samoan and Tongan, because parents trusted them. They used the language to predate and groom.' The New Zealand Catholic Bishop's Conference responded with a statement they had issued last year in response to McKenzie's story. 'We were given 10 or 11 specific names and NONE had any record of allegations of abuse before they were assigned to ministry in the Pacific. It was anything but 'common practice', the statement said. 'Catholic priests and religious [orders] have regularly been appointed to the Pacific Islands to support the faith life of communities there. For many religious orders, the Pacific is part of the same province as New Zealand. 'There is no record of any of the nine men about whom [McKenzie] enquired being accused of abuse before the order of diocese appointed to them to the Pacific. Allegations against some were not received until after their death.' As for Pope Leo's alleged handling of abuse cases in Peru, Heasley said he's concerned. 'We've seen pushback from people inside the Catholic Church calling these women 'liars'. It's an astonishing thing where you have so-called advocates of women's voices, the silence of women's voices coming in behind the pope who they see as a fellow Peruvian because he has joint citizenship.' He said canon lawyer Brendan Daly has called the sexual abuse of children the greatest threat to the Catholic church. 'None of these folks are dealing with this, and even to this point, with this new pope has yet to say anything except to deny the accusation. He has not reached out to sexual survivors, and without that, he is not an acceptable pope.' The New Zealand Catholic Bishop Conference said there are many first-hand reports 'including from victims and survivors of abuse' that have shared their appreciation for how well then-Bishop Prevost handled the cases in Peru. 'He played a pivotal role in having a religious community shut down – which is a rare and severe course of action,' the statement read.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store