Olympic drone spying scandal lands Canadian coach a red card

A personnel of nan Canadian Olympic women’s shot squad was caught using a drone to spy connected New Zealand’s believe convention connected Monday. It’s said to beryllium nan 2nd “drone incident” astatine a New Zealand believe complete nan past week.

As a result, nan Canadian Olympic Committee has announced that shot coach Bev Priestman will not coach nan Olympic team’s opening lucifer tomorrow. Two different staffers person been removed from nan squad and are being sent location from nan games.

The Canadian women’s shot squad is nan defending Olympic champion aft winning golden astatine nan Tokyo Games successful 2021. According to TSN, nan New Zealand squad is presently classed 28th. Taking Priestman’s spot arsenic caput coach during tomorrow’s lucifer will beryllium nan team’s adjunct coach, Andy Spence.

An existing prohibition connected flying drones astir Paris is being strictly enforced by information during nan 2024 Summer Olympics, which officially commencement tomorrow. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Tuesday that information forces are intercepting an mean of six drones each time utilizing instrumentality specified arsenic physics awesome jammers, according to France 24.

On Monday, a drone was spotted flying complete a believe convention held by nan New Zealand women’s shot squad successful Saint-Étienne, France, a metropolis located astir six hours southbound of Paris. The incident was reported to French authorities who located and detained nan drone’s operator, described by nan COC arsenic a “non-accredited” support personnel of nan Canadian shot team’s staff, according to nan CBC.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee “formally lodged nan incident pinch nan [International Olympic Committee] integrity unit” and asked nan COC for a afloat review, according to a statement released by nan New Zealand Olympic Committee yesterday.

The COC and caput coach Priestman apologized to nan NZOC and announced respective disciplinary actions aft reviewing Monday’s events and a erstwhile drone incident during a New Zealand believe connected July 19th.

In summation to accepting Priestman’s determination to beryllium removed from coaching nan team’s opening lucifer against New Zealand, 2 different members — Joseph Lombardi, an “unaccredited expert pinch Canada Soccer,” and Jasmine Mander, an adjunct coach — are being removed from nan Canadian Olympic squad and being sent home. The COC says that Canada Soccer unit will besides “undergo mandatory morals training.”