The New Zealand Cycling Federation has ensured this Tuesday that it will review its support for the mental health of athletes.
He has done after knowing the sudden death of the Olivia Podmore Olympic at the age of 24.
Podmore competed at the Olympic Games of Rio 2016 and in the Commonwealth 2018 Games, but she has not been part of the New Zealand team in the recent Tokyo games.
A spokesman for the New Zealand police explained said that on Monday afternoon they had been warned of a sudden death on a property in Waikato, on the North Island of New Zealand.
The cause of the death of podmore has not been confirmed, but a friend has expressed his concern for the mental health of the cyclist and sports officials have said that he had contacted the support services offered to athletes
.
“At this time we try to focus on the well-being of people who are here and in dealing with this loss,” said Cycling New Zealand Executive President Jacques Landry, at a press conference.
“There will be a time for us to review and see if and where we could not act correctly.”
The former Olympic champion Eric Eric Murray, friend of Podmore, said he was with her on Monday and described his death as a “shock and a tragedy”.
“I wish I had said something,” said 39-year athlete told reporters in Cambridge, a high performance center in New Zealand for cycling and other sports.
“We have lost a sister, a friend and a fighter who lost that willingness to fight within her. If you had seen it in the last 72 hours, you would not have thought that this could happen, so it is so spoken of mental health in this
moment, “he added.
The mental health of athletes has attracted attention since Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka retired from the Open of France.
And just a few days ago, the American Simone BonesRecrupted most of her gymnastics tests in Tokyo.
New Zealand media have reported that podmore had recently described the pressures of elite sport in a publication in their social networks.
According to Stuff, the text published by podmore said the following: “Sport is an amazing way out for many people, it is a fight, it is a very happy struggle. The feeling when you win is different from any other, but the feeling when you lose, when
They do not select you, when you do not comply with the expectations of society, such as owning a house, marrying, having children, all because you try to surrender for your sport is also different from any other. ”
Podmore’s brother, Mitchell, has written in a publication on Facebook: “Rest in peace with my beautiful sister and the beloved daughter of Phil Podmore. You will be in our hearts forever.”
And the Director of the New Zealand High Performance Program, Raelene Castle, has said that support for athletes in the programs was not perfect.
“His legacy of her has to be that we do improvements,” she has expressed her before the press.
