Opinion - You'd think that 150 people might be enough. Heck, 10 or 20 should just about have done it. But, no. The independent review into the murky goings on at Cycling New Zealand (CNZ) has been delayed.
Michael Heron QC Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Never mind that the chair of this review - Michael Heron - chaired the last review into CNZ, only three years ago. And never mind that this review largely revolves around the same subject matter as that 2018 review.
No, interviews with 150 affected parties have been insufficient for the independent review panel to publish their draft report this year, as scheduled.
Instead they hope to talk to a few more folk, in the hope of releasing something in February.
I'm not big on reviews myself, as I've noted a few times on this platform. I frankly have no faith in them.
It was fascinating, then, to listen to John Mehrzad QC in recent days, talking of his experience of chairing independent reviews into sporting bodies in Great Britain.
Mehrzad looked into British Cycling, for instance, when rider Jess Varnish alleged a culture of bullying. More recently Mehrzad conducted a review of UK Athletics and their association with the Nike Oregon Project and now-banned coach Alberto Salazar.
Salazar took British runner Mo Farah from no-hoper to multiple Olympic champion, before being found guilty of doping offences. Farah has never failed a drug test, but has gone back to being an also-ran since Salazar began his four-year drug ban.
Salazar has since been accused of sexual and emotional misconduct and further banned from an involvement in track and field.
Mehrzad was talking to the BBC - in relation to allegations of institutional racism levelled at Yorkshire County Cricket Club by Pakistan-born player Azeem Rafiq - but his comments are applicable to CNZ.
Particularly given Stuff journalist Zoe George - who revealed news of a delay in the independent panel's report - has suggested "several'' relevant parties weren't keen to participate in the review for fear of repercussions.
As it stands, the panel established by CNZ and High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) basically want some broad brush feedback on how CNZ is going and whether any of the recommendations made by Heron in 2018 have been acted upon. If people have specific allegations or complaints to raise, then there's a special mediation service that's also been set up by Heron.
This independent panel is not the forum for those discussions, apparently.
"Whoever carries out a review, be it an individual or panel, there must be no conflicts at all,'' Mehrzad told the BBC.
Not even perceived conflicts, he said.
"That's very important because we're talking about public integrity, public trust and confidence and therefore people who feel as though they are able to contribute to these types of reviews [and] investigations do not feel they're a whitewash.''
Without "trust and confidence" in the process, these endeavours are pointless, Mehrzad said.
"There is no point in having a process where people do not want to participate, they are worried their names and their allegations will be fed back to the very individuals against whom they are complaining and, certainly in sport, they are worried about their professional future if that trust and confidence isn't in place.''
This latest CNZ review was prompted by the sudden death of former track team member Olivia Podmore, but has echoes with Heron's report of 2018
Much of that revolved around incidents in 2016 that saw CNZ track coach Anthony Peden relieved of his duties. Heron's 83-page report, which relied on interviews with about 70 people, found Peden had an "inappropriate personal relationship'' with a rider and presided over a culture of bullying and drinking.
Olivia Podmore competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and died in August. Photo: Photosport
Podmore, who was a member of the team at the time, posted a message on social media before her death in August, in which she spoke of the external pressures that accompany high-performance sport. Media outlets have alleged Podmore was coerced by CNZ to lie in that 2018 review.
And so we have a further review, being conducted by a panel picked by CNZ and HPSNZ, in which more than 150 people are already said to have participated. Only, because of Covid-29 apparently, not enough people have come forward and more time and testimony is required before the review can be concluded.
In England, we've seen Rafiq level allegations of racism in Yorkshire cricket, which neither the club itself nor the England Cricket Board appeared eager to act upon until parliamentarians became involved. That's partly because, as Rafiq has revealed, current England captain Joe Root is said to have heard racist remarks and not intervened and past captain Michael Vaughan is alleged to have made derogatory comments about British Asians himself.
Someone has to be accountable or punished, but it's doubtful the powers that be will have the stomach to include decorated England captains in that.
Back here we've got a review into a cycling culture that's already been reviewed before, but which no-one appeared to have the appetite to change.
Little wonder there's been an apparent reluctance by some people to come forward.