The Paris Summer Olympic Games haven’t even started yet, but the foul play has.
The Canadian Olympic Committee was forced to apologize on Tuesday, and discipline its delegation, after a drone flown by “a non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team” for the Canadian women’s soccer team was spotted over the practice of an upcoming rival, according to CNN.
In the statement, the Canadian Olympic Committee said it was “shocked and disappointed” that the drone had been flown over a practice session by the New Zealand women’s team — which Canada is due to face on the field on Thursday, CNN reported.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair-play, and we are shocked and disappointed,” the statement said, according to The Canadian Press. “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”
But the fallout didn’t stop with just apologies.
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Head Canadian coach Bev Priestman will sit out the match against New Zealand, according to CNN.
The Canadian Olympic Committee also sent home two members of its delegation associated with the women’s soccer team, according to CNN: Joseph Lombardi, described as an “unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer” and assistant coach Jasmine Mander.
The flyover took place Monday in Saint-Étienne , about 250 miles south of Paris, according to CNN.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee issued a statement denouncing the spying effort, saying it was “deeply shocked and disappointed.”
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“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 NZOC has formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and has asked Canada for a full review.”
In her own statement, Priestman took responsibility for the incident.
“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada,” the statement said, according to CNN.
“This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.
“Accordingly, to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”
This isn’t the first spot of bad publicity for the Games. A British competitor in the equestrian sport of dressage has been forced to withdraw after a video surfaced of her whipping a horse’s legs four years ago.
The Olympics Opening Ceremony is set to begin Friday at 7:30 p.m. Paris time — 1:30 p.m. ET, according to USA Today.
The athletes carrying the American flag will be two sports figures who are no stranger to controversy in the U.S.
NBA star LeBron James, playing in his fourth Olympics, will carry the flag on behalf of the male athletes, USA Today reported.
Women’s tennis star Coco Gauff will be the female flagbearer, according to Team USA. She is playing in her first Olympics after sitting out the Tokyo Games because of a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to The New York Times.
