Cycling NZ chief executive Jacques Landry has resigned from the embattled national body, currently under review over the death of track rider Olivia Podmore in August.
Landry has held the position since 2018, after serving as high performance director with Cycling Canada, and left family behind to take up the New Zealand role.
"Mr Landry has personally role-modelled the values we aspire to," says Cycling NZ chair Phil Holden. "He is highly regarded within Cycling New Zealand and the wider cycling community, and has deepened the relationship with our four member organisations, sponsors and funding partners.
"He has been unable to leave the country and visit his family overseas for over two years, because of ongoing delays in assessing his residency application, and there is no certainty at all over when the situation might be resolved.
"For his own personal wellbeing and that of his family, Mr Landry has made the difficult decision to leave, and we fully support him in that."
Holden says Landry signalled his intention to step down in June, but stayed on to oversee the review into Podmore's death. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the outcome has been delayed until February.
A Commonwealth Games sprint medallist and former Olympian, Podmore's death was suspected suicide. She had missed selection for the Tokyo Olympics and hours before her death, she posted on Instagram, highlighting the pressures on high performance athletes.
Landry took office after an earlier review by Queen's Counsel Michael Heron into a toxic and bullying culture within the national cycling programme, and was responsible for establishing an Athletes Voice Committee, as well as strengthening the existing code of conduct.
He will return to Canada at the end of the year.
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