The fallout from Canada's drone scandal at 2024 Paris Olympics

Earlier this week, TSN reported that Canada's men's and women's soccer teams have "for years" worked to film opponents' closed-door training sessions.

The report came in the aftermath of a drone being caught flying over the training facility for the New Zealand national team just days before the Canadian women faced their counterparts in their Olympics opener on Thursday. The drone was allegedly operated by Team Canada analyst Joseph Lombardi. 

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Lombardi were sent home. Head coach Bev Priestman initially self-imposed a suspension, but was eventually sent home as well, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced.

"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 statement said. "Assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the Women's National Soccer Team for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 to begin its Olympic campaign on a victorious note. The Canadian women are reigning Olympic gold medalists in soccer after they beat Sweden in the gold medal tie at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Yokohama.  

While it's unclear if Canada benefited from spying on its opponents at previous Olympics or major soccer tournaments, TSN's report suggested that Canada used drones before a match against the United States on Nov. 15, 2019. 

Since that game, the spying tactics were used throughout games in 2021, 2022 and 2023, including during the buildup to the 2021 CONCACAF match between the men's Canadian team and Honduras per the report. A Honduras practice session had to be stopped after players noticed a drone flying overhead, the report states.

The Canadian women will next face France on Sunday.