New Zealand "deeply shocked" after Canada drone-spied on its Olympic practices

New Zealand's women's football team expressed shock after a drone operated by a Canadian soccer analyst was discovered spying on their Olympic training in France. The incident occurred on July 22, just days before their match against Canada. Local police detained the drone operator, Joseph Lombardi, who was reportedly relaying information to a Canadian assistant coach. Following the incident, the New Zealand Olympic Committee issued a statement of disappointment and lodged a complaint with the International Olympic Committee's integrity unit. On July 24, the Canadian Olympic Committee apologized and announced the removal of Lombardi and his supervisor, Jasmine Mander, from the Olympic team. Additionally, the head coach, Bev Priestman, decided to step down from coaching the upcoming match against New Zealand. It was later revealed that this was not the first incident, as the New Zealand team had also been observed by a drone during a practice on July 19. The situation highlights ongoing concerns about ethics in sports, particularly in light of previous doping scandals. The Canadian side emphasized their commitment to fair play and announced that their staff would undergo mandatory ethics training in response to the incidents.