KEY POINTS:
Mark Elliott doesn't believe his lack of specialist cycling knowledge should be an impediment to running a successful high-performance programme for the sport.
The man who oversaw Triathlon New Zealand's success culminating in the 1-2 Athens Olympics triumph for Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty was named Bike NZ's performance director yesterday, replacing Australian Michael Flynn.
Elliott's past jobs include working with New Zealand's winter sports, mapping out programmes for sports as diverse as curling and ski racing.
His new role incorporates mountain biking, BMX, road and track cycling. "I've never been a ski coach, but it didn't preclude having a successful winter programme developed," he said. "It's about being a key leader who can maximise the potential of coaches underneath him.
"My role is just to make sure there's a smooth phase so that coaches and athletes can continue to do what they're good at, and making sure the basic systems are right. In high-performance sport, if you don't do the basics, you're doomed to failure."
Elliott has also had advisory roles with Swimming New Zealand and is part of the New Zealand Olympic Committee's planning group for next year's Beijing Olympics. His buzzword is communication.
"That's the key component, having coaches working together, and I believe that's what our success at triathlon was based round." Elliott starts his role in mid-June.
