Over the last three Olympic Games, British Cycling has delivered an astounding 22 gold medals; no other nation has managed more than four in the same time. The organization has become a poster child for Britain’s Olympic success; its philosophy of marginal gains — breaking down each aspect of performance to identify a series of possible small improvements — was celebrated in sports, business and beyond.
But British Cycling’s brand is now deeply tarnished. An independent report, published last week and commissioned by UK Sport and British Cycling, found that British Cycling had created a “culture of fear” in pursuit of medals, with athletes afraid to speak out against intimidation.