In the 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics, and the first post-pandemic Games, approximately 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries will participate in 32 sports, 45 disciplines, and 329 events in France. The 2024 Olympic Games will take place in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their Paris Olympics opening game, which was overshadowed by a spying scandal that has engulfed the women's tournament.
The scandal erupted when Canadian staff members were caught using a drone to film New Zealand’s training sessions last week, despite Canada’s victory over New Zealand in the opening match.
As a consequence, the Canadian Olympic Committee stated that two Canada Soccer staff, Joseph Lombardi, an analyst with the team, and Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach, were removed from the Olympic team and sent home for their involvement in the drone surveillance.
Additionally, Canada women's soccer coach Beverly Priestman was suspended by the national soccer federation and subsequently removed from the Olympic tournament. Priestman has denied any involvement or knowledge of the incident. However, the Canadian Olympic Committee confirmed that new information showed Coach Bev Priestman was highly likely aware of the drone use to spy on New Zealand's practices.
FIFA Strips Canada of Six Points in Olympic Women’s Soccer
On July 22, three days before the 2024 Olympic women's football tournament began, New Zealand Football reported to the French police that a drone had been flying over their practice sessions in Saint-Étienne, a city 400 kilometers south of the French capital, where the match will be played. The French authorities were able to trace the drone back to Joseph Lombardi, a staff member of Canada Soccer.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) conducted a review into claims from New Zealand Football that a drone was flown over their training session on Monday, July 22.
The review by the committee, which also found evidence of a similar drone incident on July 19, resulted in the removal of assistant coach Jasmine Mander and unaccredited analyst Joseph Lombardi from the Canadian Olympic team, and the removal of head coach Bev Priestman from her role at the Paris Games. The committee said Canada Soccer staff would also undergo “mandatory ethics training.
In a statement issued by her lawyers, Priestman offered her first comments on the incident. Priestman said that she would take responsibility for the scandal and would cooperate to clarify the case, which is being investigated.
"I am heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them," Priestman said. "I know how hard they have worked following a very difficult year in 2023, and that they are a group of people who care very much about sportsmanship and integrity. As the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the investigation."
As a disciplinary action, FIFA issued a six-point deduction in the group stage for this Olympics and banned head coach Bev Priestman, analyst Joseph Lombardi, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander from all soccer-related activity for one year. Canada Soccer will also be fined 200,000 Swiss francs.
Furthermore, a public document on FIFA's decision to penalize the Canadian women's soccer team at the Olympics reveals emails related to spying from coach Bev Priestman and an analyst.
In the document published on the FIFA website, FIFA says it received an email from Canada Soccer explaining why it decided to suspend Bev Priestman, analyst Joseph Lombardi, and assistant coach Jasmine Mander because of an Olympic drone spying scandal last week.
Included is an email sent from an unnamed Canada Soccer analyst to Priestman on March 20, following the release of the Olympic draw.
The document also includes an email from Canada Soccer to FIFA stating that it believes the spying techniques were initiated by a previous national men's team administration and continued by Priestman.
The FIFA world body reported that Bev Priestman had emailed a Canada Soccer human resources consultant that spying “was always done” by the top 10 teams in the world and it was “the difference between winning and losing.”
Canadian Olympic Committee Says Priestman Likely Knew of Drone Spying
In a press conference, Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive officer David Shoemaker said that the head coach of the national women's soccer team was highly likely aware of two alleged incidents involving drones being used to spy on the opposing team's training sessions in France.
"One of the key pieces of information was the conclusion from Canada Soccer that she needed to be suspended, based on their accumulation of facts," Shoemaker said. "I've seen some of the information they have, and we've gathered some additional information ourselves that made me conclude that she was highly likely to have been aware of the incident here in Saint-Étienne."
Shoemaker acknowledged the scandal impacted Canada's image at the start of the Summer Games in Paris but hoped it wouldn't detract from what is expected to be a strong performance by the team as a whole. Shoemaker added that he currently feels comfortable keeping the footballers in the Olympic tournament after imposing the “ultimate sanction” possible on the three staff members.
In the Canadian Olympic Committee release announcing Priestman’s removal, Canada Soccer CEO and General Secretary Kevin Blue said he would not consider removing the Canadian team from the tournament.
"I feel frustrated about the distraction it has created, but I have not considered withdrawing the team," he said during a Friday news conference. "Primarily because we feel like we have addressed the situation swiftly and significantly. ... The players themselves have not engaged in unethical behavior.”
In the same context, several former Canadian women’s national team players have expressed disappointment with their federation and the sanctions.
Former Canadian national team member Kara Lang wrote on X, "Devastating. Reckless and shameful for the staff to put these players in this position. Gutted for the #CanWNT.”
Kaylyn Kyle, another former national team player who competed at the 2012 London Olympics, said players were now paying the price for other people's actions.
"Only the players suffer for stupidity and selfishness. The amount of work that goes into prep for an OG (Olympic Games) to only have their dreams and hopes shattered," she said on X.
The scandal has led to calls for the Canadian team to be sent home, but the Canadian Olympic Committee CEO said he had no qualms with the team remaining in Paris to defend their Olympic gold medal.
The Canadian Olympic Committee confirms that the use of spy drones predates Paris.
On July 25, the Canadian sports outlet TSN reported that coaching staff and contractors working with Canada's national soccer team had been engaged for years in efforts to film the closed-door training sessions of their opponents, including during the women's gold-medal-winning Tokyo Olympic tournament in 2020.
The TSN report suggested further developments regarding Canada's men's soccer team. The report detailed an instance of Canada using a drone to record a United States men's national team training session before a game in November 2019.
Additionally, Canada Soccer CEO & General Secretary Kevin Blue said: “Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Soccer Team Head Coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review.”
Within this context, a job advertisement on Canada Soccer's website back in January stood out. The women's national team said it was seeking a performance analyst who was able to operate drones, while a “working knowledge of managing training cameras is preferred.”
The job offer was circulated by social media users, where it quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
In this context, Shoemaker also revealed that there “appears to be information that could tarnish” Canada’s gold medal-winning performance at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Drone Laws and Regulations in France During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
The ban on drones flying in the airspace around Paris is being strictly enforced during the 2024 Summer Olympics, with security personnel armed with drone-disabling equipment policing Paris skies.
In an unprecedented move, French authorities completely closed the airspace within a 150-kilometer (93-mile) radius around Paris during the opening ceremony. This step underscores the seriousness with which France is approaching airspace security for the Olympics.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal emphasized the importance of the drone ban during a visit to a drone defense hub event at Velizy-Villacoublay air base.
Attal said an average of six drones per day are being intercepted near the Olympic sites. The miniature flyers are sometimes operated by "individuals, maybe tourists wanting to take pictures," according to Attal. However, the potential security risks posed by these unauthorized flights cannot be ignored.
“That’s why it’s important to remind people of the rules. There’s a ban on flying drones,” he added during a visit to the event’s drone defense hub at Velizy-Villacoublay air base outside Paris. Attal highlighted several incidents around the Olympic Village on Sunday. “Systems are in place to allow us to very quickly intercept (drones) and arrest their operators,” Attal said. “We can’t allow anything to slip past us.”
According to France’s national aviation authority, the French Civil Aviation Authority, flying a drone is legal in France. However, the ban on drones flying in the airspace around Paris is being strictly enforced during the 2024 Summer Olympics, with security personnel armed with drone-disabling equipment policing Paris skies.
Similarly, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu emphasized their cautious approach, stating, “If in doubt, we always jam” a drone.
Actions Taken by the International Olympic Committee To Handle Cheating
When cheating occurs, or is alleged to occur, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the primary governing body that sets the rules and regulations and collaborates with other organizations to enforce them.
These organizations include the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and various International Sports Federations. Furthermore, a local organizing committee is involved wherever the Olympics are held.
In the world of international sports competitions, one document stands out as a “constitution,” providing a blueprint for organizational structure.
The Olympic Charter is a compilation of fundamental principles, rules, and bylaws that establish and regulate the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its subordinate International Sports Federations, and the National Olympic Committees, as well as each Olympic Games and individual athletes competing in the Games.
According to the IOC Charter, any violation of the rules may result in the disqualification of the athlete or team involved, withdrawal of their accreditation, and other sanctions imposed by the IOC Executive Board or Session.
If cheating is discovered during the games, the athletes or teams can be disqualified. If discovered afterward, they may be stripped of their medals. The WADA agency also has the authority to suspend or ban athletes for life if they are caught using performance-enhancing drugs.
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