Nick Flyger has been appointed as the new lead sprint coach for Cycling New Zealand.
For the past four years, Flyger has been Australia’s senior track sprint coach but he told 1News Tuesday he was glad to finally be coming home.
“It's special for me as a coach to put on the Silver Fern," Flyger told 1News.
"I think back to when I was a kid, watching the Olympics and things like that. Sport's a big part of me it's given me so much.”
In a bonus for Kiwi cyclists, Flyger’s partner - 11-time world champion sprinter Anna Meares - is also part of the package.
The duo and their two children are planning the move to New Zealand after March’s Oceania Championships in Brisbane.
“I think she's quite excited to come to New Zealand and work with the athletes and be somewhat of a mentor," he said.
The West Coast-born, Nelson-raised coach is well aware of the recent issues at Cycling NZ but he’s hoping to be part of the solution.
“From what I can tell, what I’m stepping into is people who want to make the sport better and I’d just like to contribute to that," he added.
Flyger comes from a science background but says over the years he’s learned that behind the smiling, winning faces you see on TV there’s a lot of fear, anxiety and sacrifice that’s gone on.
“We ask these guys to do so much," he said of the athletes.
“I know there’s been a lot of hurt felt by many people going back to 2016. Hopefully we can begin to win trust back with not just results, but how we carry ourselves.”
He officially starts in the role at the end of this month.
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