Canada’s women’s soccer team will be without head coach Bev Priestman as they attempt to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals. Priestman was suspended amid allegations of using a drone to spy on a New Zealand team practice. The Canadian Olympic Committee has suspended Priestman and assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the team during the competition. The committee stated that Priestman will remain suspended until an independent review of the incident is completed. The drone operator, a support staff member, was detained by French authorities after the New Zealand team reported the incident. Canada Soccer also announced the removal of an unaccredited analyst and an assistant coach, as well as mandatory ethics training for the organization.
Priestman apologized to the New Zealand team and removed herself from a match to emphasize the team’s commitment to integrity. Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in the match. Following additional information about previous drone use against opponents, Priestman was removed for the remainder of the Games and suspended by Canada Soccer. Priestman has been the head coach of Canada since November 2020 and led the team to gold in the Tokyo Olympics. She signed on to coach Canada through the 2027 Women’s World Cup in January. The Canadian Olympic Committee’s decision reflects a commitment to fair play and sportsmanship in international competitions.
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