The New Zealand Olympic Committee says it is deeply saddened by the unexpected death of 24-year-old track cyclist Olivia Podmore.
Podmore had recently posted on social media about the challenges of life for a world-class athlete, after she qualified for, but was not selected by her team to compete in Tokyo 2020.
In the wake of her death, the New Zealand NOC is offering support to athletes and staff on the country’s Olympic Team.
Podmore, a resident of Christchurch, competed in three events at the Rio 2016 Games, her best finish, along with teammates was ninth in the team sprint event. She also represented New Zealand at a number of world championships and other major events.
The New Zealand track cyclist won silver in the team sprint and bronze in the time trial at the 2015 Junior World Championships in Astana. Her teammates referred to her as ‘Liv’.
“We offer our deepest condolences to family, friends and others in the NZ community who are grieving this loss. We are providing wellbeing support for members of her team and the wider team as we return home from Tokyo,” the New Zealand Olympic Committee said in a statement.
“Olivia represented New Zealand with honor and pride at both the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was a valued team member and her loss will be felt across the New Zealand Sporting Community.”
A New Zealand police spokesperson said authorities attended to the sudden death at a property in Waikato, located on New Zealand’s upper North Island on Monday afternoon, according to the Reuters news agency.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Podmore had written about the strains of competing as an elite athlete in an Instagram post earlier on Monday. The post was later deleted.
The New Zealand NOC statement also explained how athletes or other New Zealand team members can access support from the New Zealand Olympic Team psychology unit, its health team, or via sports psychology and health providers, as well as through counseling in the country.
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