Olympic rower Eric Murray, Sport NZ CEO Raelene Castle and Chief executive Jacques Landry address the media in Cambridge. Video / Mike Scott
Discussions are under way to arrange exemptions for devastated Tokyo Olympians in MIQ to possibly attend cyclist Olivia Podmore's funeral.
Podmore represented New Zealand at the 2016 Rio Olympics and died suddenly on Monday.
Yesterday, Olympic rower Eric Murray spoke to the media in Cambridge describing the 24-year-old cyclist as one of his closest friends.
"I was with her this time yesterday [Monday] and I wish she had said something," Murray said. "Her death is a shock and a tragedy."
Murray said Podmore's last messages on social media that spoke of the pressures of competing at the highest level - since taken down - would need to be dealt with at some stage.
"With Olivia's final words she left us a message - a message we wish will never have to be read again by anybody else," Murray said.
The Olympic cyclist had reached out for support before her death on Tuesday, Sport NZ CEO Raelene Castle said earlier.
Kiwi cyclists who competed in the Tokyo Olympics had touched down in Christchurch on Tuesday morning and the athletes were finding it "very difficult" in MIQ at the moment, Castle said.
Athletes found out about Podmore's death as they were about to board the flight in Tokyo on Monday.
Cycling NZ indicated to the Herald today it was "having discussions" around how Tokyo Olympic cyclists in MIQ for the next two weeks might be able to attend Podmore's funeral.
Raelene Castle, Sport NZ CEO, discusses the sudden death of cyclist Olivia Podmore. Photo / Mike Scott
Raelene Castle, head of high Performance Sport NZ, and Jacques Landry, chief executive of Cycling New Zealand at a press conference at the Cambridge Velodrome. NZ Herald photo by Mike Scott
However, they said it was too early to tell if this could happen.
In response to questions last night, an MBIE spokesperson directed the Herald to the MIQ website which states: "MIQ exemptions under the exceptional circumstances category cover requests such as the death of a family member, or to visit a terminally ill relative, or for other exceptional reasons".
The key factor in assessing MIQ exemption is the public health risk on a case-by-case basis. Exemptions are assessed within five to seven days of the application.
NZ Olympic Committee communications director Ashley Abbott said it had no "information regarding the timing of any future celebrations of Olivia's life and will work through supporting the team as required".
She added it was important to note Olympians are subject to the same MIQ rules as all New Zealanders.
A source close to the family said the timing of Podmore's funeral had not been confirmed as of last night as they were still organising the transportation of her body back to Christchurch.
New Zealand rowing Men's Pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, during the medal ceremony after winning Gold in the Final of the Men's Pair, at Eton Dorney during the 2012 London Olympics.
Cycling NZ CEO Jacques Landry. Photo / Mike Scott. 10 August 2021 New Zealand Herald
Speaking at a separate Cambridge press conference yesterday, Cycling NZ chief executive Jacques Landry said it would be "questioning ... for a long time" whether it had failed Podmore.
Asked about the environment at Cycling NZ since a damning 2018 report in to the organisation, Landry said his KPI was to ensure there was a proper culture at the organisation.
A spokesperson for the Podmore family, Mike Pero, said Podmore was with her mother, Nienke, yesterday in good spirits at Queenstown Airport before flying to Hamilton.
"It's a difficult time for them to come to grips with this. It was totally unexpected and they are grieving the loss of their daughter, and they don't know what to think at this stage. They're still trying to come to grips with it," Pero said.
Olivia Podmore. Photo / Photosport
Pero said Podmore had been training hard in Cambridge in the hope of competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
"I personally only saw her two weeks ago while I was in Cambridge and we didn't see this coming obviously," Pero said.
High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) also released a statement saying it is "deeply saddened" by Podmore's death and a "significant amount of work" is being done to support returning Tokyo 2020 Olympic athletes who knew Podmore as they enter MIQ.
"A significant amount of work has been done in advance to ensure the team have the support they need for their physical and mental wellbeing in MIQ," HPSNZ said.
Liv, I’m devastated to have to be writing this. You have broken so many hearts today 💔💔💔 We have been through many ups...
A number of Kiwi Olympians such as Dame Valerie Adams, Tyla Nathan-Wong and Olivia Chance commented on the NZ Team's Instagram post with black hearts, prayer hands and fern emojis.
Her former teammate Natasha Hansen took to Facebook to share her heartbreak.
"Liv, I'm devastated to have to be writing this. You have broken so many hearts today," she wrote in the post. "We have been through many ups and downs together and shared in so many highs and lows ... I am devastated that this has come to such a sudden end."
Podmore won silver in the team sprint and bronze in the time trial at the Junior World Champs in Astana in 2015. She was also the 2017 national keirin champion.
Olivia Podmore, 24, represented New Zealand at the 2016 Rio Olympics and died suddenly on August 9, 2021. Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images
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