Cyclist assault allegations a 'non-event'

New Zealand Commonwealth Games team chef de mission Dave Currie fronts up to the media in Melbourne. Picture / Mark Mitchell

MELBOURNE - A New Zealand woman athlete at the centre of allegations that two cyclists tried to strip and urinate on her says the incident was a "non-event".

New Zealand team chef de mission Dave Currie released a statement from the unnamed athlete this morning, as he fronted a barrage of international news media interest.

Sports psychologist Gary Hermansson, who has been helping the athlete involved, read a statement from her.

"The female athlete concerned states that she had no intention of making a complaint of any sort, and the police became involved unneccesarily when informed of the incident by a witnessing security guard," he read.

"In her view the incident was a non-event which should never have become an issue outside of the team, the athlete does not wish the matter to be perpetuated by the media as it is closed.

"She says that the other athletes did not mean any harm or disrespect to her."

Currie said the statement was offered by the athlete, and not at the request of team management.

He refused to name the cyclists, though he confirmed it was not track and road rider Hayden Roulston and the track squad.

He had investigated the incident and a report would go to BikeNZ, who would take disciplinary action as they saw fit.

Security and the police acted "appropriately", Currie said.

"You've got early hours of the morning, you've got three people -- two male and a female -- drinking's taken place, so they wanted to ensure the female was in a safe place."

The female had been out drinking with the men, he said. Drinking was not allowed in the village.

Currie said "there had been a fair amount of drinking taking place".

The Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper had reported that the woman claimed two New Zealand cyclists tried to strip off her clothes and urinate on her at the games village on Sunday night.

Victorian police spoke to the woman about the claims, but she had not made a formal complaint. The newspaper said she was still at the village, being comforted by the team psychologist and her family and preferred the matter be dealt with in-house. 

- NZPA