Canada’s Women Soccer Coach Bev Priestman Ousted After Olympic Drone Spying Scandal

A team has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics for using drones to spy on their opponents’ training sessions.

The Verge reported that the Canadian women’s soccer team was caught flying a drone to observe a closed practice session of their opening match opponent, New Zealand.

While covertly observing the opponent’s practice session is problematic, Paris has strictly prohibited drone flights during the Olympics to enhance security. French authorities have reported using equipment such as signal jammers to detect and intercept an average of six drones per day.

In Saint-Étienne, a city six hours south of Paris, a drone was discovered flying over the New Zealand team’s practice facility. Upon receiving reports, French authorities located and detained the drone operator. The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) identified the individual as a “non-accredited” member of Canada Soccer’s support team.

The COC and women’s soccer team head coach, Bev Priestman, formally apologized to New Zealand and announced subsequent disciplinary actions.

As a result, Priestman has been removed from participating in the first match scheduled for Friday night. Furthermore, two members, including the head coach and an “unaccredited analyst,” have been expelled from the team.

The COC announced that the coaching staff “will undergo mandatory ethics training.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian women’s soccer team, defending champion, secured gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. In contrast, New Zealand holds the 28th rank.