A drone incident involving the Canadian and New Zealand women’s soccer teams has sparked controversy ahead of the opening games of the Paris Olympics.
New Zealand has filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) integrity department after a drone was flown during a training session for the New Zealand women’s soccer team, and it was discovered that the pilot was a member of the Canadian team’s support staff.
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Canadian players pose for a photograph on the pitch at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Saint-Etienne, France, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Canada is scheduled to play New Zealand on Thursday, July 25. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
“Team support members immediately contacted police and the drone operator, identified as a support member of the Canadian women’s soccer team, was detained,” the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The New Zealand Olympic Committee has formally reported the incident to the IOC’s integrity department and has requested a full investigation by Canada.”
The Canadian Olympic Committee announced the punishment on Wednesday and said it was aware of a second drone incident, which occurred on July 19.
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Canada head coach Bev Priestman (center) speaks to her team after the She Believes Cup match between Brazil and Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 6, 2024 in Atlanta. (Andrea Vilchez/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
The association announced that “unofficial analyst” Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander had been sent home from Paris following the incident.
Canada national soccer team coach Bev Priestman will not attend Thursday’s match against New Zealand.
“On behalf of the entire team, I would like to first apologise to the players and staff of New Zealand Soccer and to the players of Team Canada. This does not reflect the values that our team stands for,” Priestman said in a statement.
“I am ultimately responsible for actions within our program. Therefore, to underscore my commitment to the integrity of our team, I have decided to voluntarily recuse myself from coaching Thursday’s game. In a spirit of responsibility, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is being upheld.”
New Zealand’s Katie Kitching (center) is congratulated by her teammates after scoring a goal during a women’s international friendly match between the New Zealand Football Ferns and Thailand at Apollo Project Stadium on April 6, 2024 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Kai Schwoller/Getty Images)
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Canada is the last gold medal winner, beating Sweden at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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