After an incredibly successful 2021 on the water highlighted by three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, Canoe Racing New Zealand (CRNZ) will end the year on a sour note.
Double Olympic champion Alan Thompson has been banned from the sport, after a long-running investigation into historic sexual harassment allegations.
It follows an investigation by a top QC after allegations against Thompson, a former life member of the sport, surfaced last October.
While Thompson denies the allegations, the governing body is standing by the complainants.
Thompson was part of one of New Zealand's most successful Olympics. But now, his name is tarnished.
"As much as the narrative is about Mr Thompson, and this being hard on him, we shouldn't forget this is really difficult for the complainants," says CRNZ chief executive Tom Ashley.
Thompson's ban comes after allegations he made inappropriate sexualised remarks in 1998 and 2014.
There have also also been claims Thompson exposed himself to a former athlete in 1991.
Thompson's lawyer David Fraundorfer tells Newshub that the Olympian rejects all allegations and considers the process followed by CRNZ to be both deeply flawed and fundamentally unfair.
"That's his right, I suppose," responds Ashley. "Donald Trump says he won the 2019 election."
It's the second controversy within the organisation in the last 16 months, following allegations of an unsafe high performance environment, prompting questions regarding a potential culture issue.
"I really back the work that we're doing and I back the people we have, both athletes and staff," says Ashley.
"But we can always improve and we're working hard to get better."
CRNZ now has a lump of coal to go with its golden haul from Tokyo.
Watch the full story above.
