Olivia Podmore,
former Olympic cyclist from New Zealand, died at the age of 24 on Monday, the New
Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) confirmed to Reuters.

According to a New
Zealand police spokesperson, the police were on call for a sudden death at a
property in Waikato on New Zealand’s upper North Island at about 4 pm local
time. The deceased was identified as Podmore.

“Police are making
enquiries in relation to the death on behalf of the coroner,” the police spokesperson
was reported saying.

The 24-year-old
Podmore represented New Zealand in the 2016 Olympics held at Rio De Janeiro in
Brazil as well as the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was not part of New Zealand’s
contingent at the Tokyo Olympics that concluded recently.

 Olivia Podmore’s brother Mitchell put out a
Facebook post saying, “Rest in peace my gorgeous sister and beloved daughter of
Phil Podmore. You will be in our hearts forever.”

The New Zealand
Olympic Committee said that news of Podmore’s death has reached the country’s
cycling team which is preparing to return home.

“We are providing
wellbeing support for members of her team and the wider team as we return home
from Tokyo,” NZOC said in a statement.

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The death of the
young cyclist has come as a shock to New Zealand’s sporting community. Shortly
before her death on Monday, Podmore had reportedly posted on Instagram talking
about the pressures of competing at the highest level of her sport.

“Sport is an
amazing outlet for so many people, it’s a struggle, it’s a fight but it’s so
joyous,” Podmore wrote before deleting the post, according to Yahoo News.

Cyclists from all
over the country have mourned the loss of the young Olympian. “Cycling New
Zealand, our riders and staff, are deeply saddened with the loss of one of our
young cyclists. Olivia was a much loved and respected rider in our Cycling New
Zealand squad,” Podmore’s squad said in a statement.