Sporting bodies are working together today to ensure “additional layers” of support are available to cyclists back from the Tokyo Olympics who are in MIQ, after the sudden death of Olivia Podmore.
Cycling New Zealand chief executive Jacques Landry and High Performance Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said in a press conference this afternoon staff and athletes in managed isolation are their top priority.
“For us, the focus is to really make sure the health and wellbeing of those people is well taken care of and we will continue to endeavour that is done until we are satisfied that the health and wellbeing of all these people is taken care of properly,” Landry said.
The last charter flight from the Tokyo Olympics arrived in Christchurch this morning, carrying on it the remaining Kiwi athletes who were still in Japan – including New Zealand’s track cycling team.
Cyclists and staff have since been transferred to managed isolation facilities throughout the Garden City where they are being supported, Castle said.
“We already had significant levels of support there and over the last 24 hours we've been working really hard to ensure there’s additional layers of support for anyone who needs it,” Castle said.
“We already had significant plans in place with MIQ itself but we’re making sure we have reached out to every athlete, every coach, every person that is in MIQ, inside those environments and outside the environment.”
Podmore, 24, died last night having represented New Zealand at both the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2018 Commonwealth Games in the team sprint with Natasha Hansen.
Landry added support services had already been put in place for athletes returning from Tokyo.
“There was a plan in place to manage the ‘post-Olympics blue’,” he said.
“We are trying to person by person tick off the list and make sure they are okay.
“We see some signs and there’s some signs we don't see so we are trying to access the best way we can.”
Landry also had a personal message for those in MIQ and elsewhere dealing with Podmore’s death.
“We've got your back, we are there for you guys.”
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