Photo: Photosport
The transformation of the culture of Cycling New Zealand is taking longer than expected.
A Cycling Integrity Steering Committee, put in place to help action the recommendations of the 2022 report into Cycling New Zealand, has been extended until February.
The report commissioned after the suspected suicide of Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore in August 2021 made more than 90 recommendations for High Performance Sport New Zealand and Cycling New Zealand to consider.
Recommendations included a focus on wellbeing; more open and better-connected culture at CNZ; transparency around selection, recruitment and carding decisions; considering regional pathways; increasing the number of women employed and recruiting a people and performance manager.
The committee made up of independent chair Kit Toogood, athlete representatives Sam Dakin and Jaime Nielsen, Cycling New Zealand nominee Simon Wickham and Sport New Zealand nominee Bronwyn Hall has a main objective to oversee CNZ's actions in response to the recommendations.
An update from the Cycling Integrity Steering Committee (CISC) following their December meeting said the extension into early 2024 reflected "the breadth and depth of the work and the importance of ensuring it is embedded to achieve long-term successful cultural transformation".
At that time the CISC would have completed and presented the final report to the CNZ board and stakeholders.
CISC pointed out some key milestones that had been achieved this year including the establishment of the Athlete Leaders Group, revision and update of the HPSNZ concussion guidelines, the publication of athlete pathways in track, sprint and endurance with BMX and MTB still to come.
A programme with a focus on psychological safety had been developed, women in the High Performance Programme were given equitable access to healthcare, enhanced coach education focusing on issues affecting female elite athletes had been implemented, a review of the governance structure included a new Sub Committee focused on people and wellbeing, regular assessment and reporting of culture within the high-performance programme was happening and a strategic approach to recruitment had emphasised cultural fit and integrity.
In addition, CNZ's commitment to inclusivity and fairness is reflected in the initiation of unconscious bias training for staff, the update said.