Paris 2024: New Zealand accuses Canada Soccer of spying

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) offered a “heartfelt” apology to New Zealand Football Tuesday after the New Zealand women’s club accused the Canadian women’s team of spying on them during a training session.

The alleged incident occurred when French authorities in Saint-Etienne, France, detained a support staffer for Canada Soccer after New Zealand, nicknamed the Football Ferns, lodged an official complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). New Zealand claims the staffer recorded their practice with a drone.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee said in a statement that it formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and asked Canada for a full review.

The COC also said it is reviewing next steps with the IOC, Paris 2024, Canada Soccer and FIFA, and will provide a further update Wednesday.

Security for the Olympic Games has ramped up in recent weeks. France’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told the French newspaper Le Monde Monday that security is intercepting an average of six drones per day.

While tourists wanting to take pictures are believed to be flying most of the devices, Attal says it’s important to remind people there’s a ban on using drones.

“We can’t allow anything to slip past us,” he said.

Le Monde also reported that other anti-aircraft defences are in place, including a 150-kilometre radius around Paris, which will be completely closed off Friday during the opening ceremony, and 18,000 French troops have been deployed to secure this summer’s Olympic Games.

Canada and New Zealand kick off the Olympic competition Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT. Canada is the reigning Olympic gold medalist, defeating Sweden on penalties in 2021 at the Summer Games in Tokyo.