Icarus director raises red flag over NZ Government funding sporting bodies

The man behind the Oscar winning documentary that uncovered state-sponsored doping in Russia is in New Zealand with a warning for Kiwi sport.

Icarus director Bryan Fogel is speaking in Wellington about his involvement in one of biggest scandals in sporting history.

Fogel's has been brought here by New Zealand Rugby and Crimestoppers to address a large gathering of athletes and sports bodies.

Icarus blew open the biggest sporting scandal of modern times.

Now Fogel wants to ensure the same will never be said of New Zealand athletes.

"Even though an athlete or an organisation or Government might be claiming that something is true or that they aren't cheating, that doesn't necessarily make it true," Fogel told Newshub.

That exact approach helped Fogel uncover the Russian doping scandal.

Drug Free Sport New Zealand is funded by the NZ Government - a real red flag for Fogel.

"Any time that a national or Government body is policing international sport, there's a conflict of interest there," Fogel said.

Kiwi athletes are funded by the Government through High Performance Sport New Zealand and as recent examples have highlighted, sporting bodies need to be careful when it comes to the expectations placed on those athletes.

"There's a lot of pressure on athletes, and with that comes bullying or that win-at-all-costs attitude," Fogel said.

Watch the video above for the full story.