New Zealand Olympic pole vault coach Jeremy McColl has been banned for 10 years after he was found to have committed serious misconduct over several years.
An independent investigation determined McColl had acted improperly towards athletes, which includes harassment and the use of inappropriate sexual remarks to minors.
Concerns over his behaviour were first raised in May, which led Athletics NZ to refer to an independent investigator appointed through the Sports and Recreation Complaints and Mediation Service (SRCMS).
McColl had previously been stood down from his role as high-performance coach at Athletics NZ on Wednesday, following a police complaint.
He had coached pole vault stars Eliza McCartney and Olivia McTaggart, guiding the former to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
McColl was the subject of several complaints made aware to Athletics NZ, which saw an independent investigator appointment.
Their findings concluded he had acted improperly in many ways, including the improper treatment of athletes in the coaching environment, unprofessional comments in training sessions, harassment, and inappropriate communication through social media and text messages, including towards minors.
Athletics NZ has since accepted McColl's resignation and handed him an unprecedented 10-year ban for his action.
"I unreservedly apologise for the harm caused to these athletes and recognise that my conduct was not in line with Athletics NZ's policies or rules and was harmful and inappropriate," McColl said in a statement.
