Multisport: Trying times come to a head

Greg Fraine.

A clash of coaching visions has seen Triathlon New Zealand suffer another setback, despite posting their best elite results of the year at this month's International Triathlon Union grand final in Edmonton.

Andrea Hewitt and Nicky Samuels finished second and third respectively but the result masked a divide between high performance director Graeme Maw and national coach Greg Fraine. Fraine has subsequently resigned after six years with the governing body.

In an email to close associates, he explained his exit.

"The reasoning for my resignation is mainly based around the incompatibility of my working relationship with Graeme Maw," Fraine wrote.

"Although our goals are very much aligned, our individual visions are blurred to each other. Over the past 18 months I have attempted to work on these differences and felt that I could shape and mould people and the programme to achieve what we had set out to do - podium on the world triathlon stage. I also understand Graeme and I are very different people and our trajectories have been heading in differing directions for a while now.

"The place we find ourselves at this present point, I can see no way back from. Graeme may differ on this opinion and there lies much of the problem between us."

Fraine hoped his decision might prove a catalyst for change.

"If this action provides some questioning and challenge [sic] to how things are done and managed, then I walk away feeling confident of the future for the Tri NZ HP programme."

Fraine declined to comment further when contacted, saying it was best he didn't comment before the completion of the season debrief. Maw was overseas until today.

In a statement released on Friday, Tri NZ chief executive Craig Waugh acknowledged Fraine's "huge passion" and "important role" but said, "our results have not been as we had hoped on occasions this year ... We have not fired consistently with our elite athletes. Glasgow, as everyone knows, was particularly disappointing.

"It is important that we command higher standards, be clear on performance results and not be accepting of mediocrity. This is the core of the centralised high performance programme.

"Tri NZ needs to constantly ask how we can improve performance and bring about change to effect that improvement. Recent results for Andrea [Hewitt] and Nicky [Samuels] highlight the ability to perform at that level, what we have not done of late is deliver consistently."

Tri NZ received $1.4 million in taxpayer funding this year. High Performance Sport New Zealand are discussing future funding of national sports organisations in October and November with a final decision due before Christmas.