Canada Loses Women's Soccer Coach At Olympics After Spying On Competition With Drone
It's a bird. It's a plane. It's … an Olympic team's drone.
We've got a case of espionage to kick off the Paris Summer Olympics involving Canada's women's Olympic soccer team, and someone has officially been axed following the pre-Olympics controversy.
HOUSTON - Canada women's national team head coach Beverly Priestman celebrates after a goal in the first half against Costa Rica during the 2024 Concacaf Women's Gold Cup at Shell Energy Stadium on February 28, 2024. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Head coach Bev Priestman of Canada looks on prior to a match against Brazil in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 06, 2024. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Team Canada Soccer's reps at the Olympics announced the dismissal of head coach Bev Priestman, who has coached the Canadian group since 2020, having previously won gold with the Olympic team in 2021.
READ: Team Canada Accused Of Using Drone To Spy On Opponents' Soccer Practices
Team Canada also let go of two staff members, an assistant coach and an analyst, in the aftermath of the drone activity. The men's national soccer team also received accusations of spying on its opposition.
Canada's Coach Axed Over SpyGate 2024
Assistant coach Andy Spence has been appointed as the interim coach, taking over from Priestman.
Team Canada Soccer was caught red-handed flying a drone over its competitor's practice, and the New Zealand women's national team flagged the drone's appearance at its practice to the IOC (International Olympic Committee). As a result, Priestman was removed from team activities for the entire week and officially dismissed.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee previously released a statement on the incident.
"Team support members immediately reported the incident to police leading to the drone operator, who has been identified as a support staff member of the wider Canadian Women’s football team, to be detained," the statement read. "The NZOC has formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and has asked Canada for a full review."
Team Canada flew too close to the sun and faced not only a steep hill to gold but the burden of proving any win could be legitimate after flying surveillance over the Kiwis.
Canada head coach of Canada Beverly Priestman. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
The Canadian Olympic Committee released its decision regarding Priestman on Thursday:
"The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team Head Coach Bev Priestman from the Canadian Olympic Team due to her suspension by Canada Soccer," the COC stated (via ESPN). "Assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the Women's National Soccer Team for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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