Banned coach Bev Priestman 'heartbroken' and apologizes in Canada drone-spying scandal at Olympics

Sport

Banned coach Bev Priestman 'heartbroken' and apologizes in Canada drone-spying scandal at Olympics

2024-07-29 06:15 Last Updated At：06:21

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Embattled Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman apologized to her players Sunday and pledged to cooperate with an investigation into the drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics.

The team was deducted six points and Priestman was banned for a year after two of her assistants were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand’s practices before their opening game Wednesday.

Click to Gallery

Canada team pose for a group photo prior to the women's Group A soccer match between Canada and New Zealand at Geoffroy-Guichard stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Canada's Evelyne Viens, 2nd right, celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's second goal during the women's Group A soccer match between Canada and New Zealand at Geoffroy-Guichard stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Canada faces more allegations of drone use as scandal widens

FILE - Canada's head coach Bev Priestman gestures during the Women's World Cup Group B soccer match between Australia and Canada in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, July 31, 2023. FIFA deducted six points from Canada in the Paris Olympics women’s soccer tournament and banned three coaches, including Priestman, for one year each on Saturday, July 27, 2204, in a drone spying scandal. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair, File)

More Images

Canada team pose for a group photo prior to the women's Group A soccer match between Canada and New Zealand at Geoffroy-Guichard stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Canada's Evelyne Viens, 2nd right, celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's second goal during the women's Group A soccer match between Canada and New Zealand at Geoffroy-Guichard stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Canada faces more allegations of drone use as scandal widens

FILE - Canada's head coach Bev Priestman gestures during the Women's World Cup Group B soccer match between Australia and Canada in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, July 31, 2023. FIFA deducted six points from Canada in the Paris Olympics women’s soccer tournament and banned three coaches, including Priestman, for one year each on Saturday, July 27, 2204, in a drone spying scandal. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair, File)

“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them,” Priestman said in a statement. “As the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the investigation.”

Canada kept alive its hopes of advancing despite the sanction by beating France 2-1 Sunday after Vanessa Gilles's winner in the 12th minute of added time in Saint-Etienne. But the win still left the defending Olympic champion pointless and in need of victory against Colombia in its final Group A game.

Canada's players celebrated wildly after the winning goal - likely in response to the pressure the team has felt after a turbulent first week at the Games.

Priestman led Canada to the Olympic title in Tokyo in 2021, but her reputation has been marred by the scandal, which has raised questions about the practices of the country’s men’s and women’s soccer teams and how widespread the issue could be.

She also apologized to Canada as a nation, but appeared to try to defend her legacy.

“This program and team have allowed this country to reach the pinnacle of women’s soccer, and their winning of the gold medal was earned through sheer grit and determination, despite reports to the contrary,” she said. “I fought with every ounce of my being to make this program better, much of which will never be known or understood. I wish I could say more, but I will refrain at this time, given the appeals process and the ongoing investigation.”

It has emerged that a complaint against the women’s team for filming an opponent’s training session was made at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, which served as a qualification tournament for last summer’s Women’s World Cup.

The revelation is part of the fallout of the drone scandal.

FIFA banned Priestman — who had already been sent home from France — and two of her coaches and imposed a hefty $226,000 fine on Canada Soccer.

There was little sympathy from Germany coach Horst Hrubesch, who said Canada's behavior was “stupidity.”

Canada was looking into an appeal, but said they suspected a “systemic ethical shortcoming.”

Also Sunday, Canada sports minister Carla Qualtrough said the government will withhold funding “relating to suspended Canada Soccer officials for the duration of their FIFA sanction.” Drone surveillance of a closed practice, she said, “is cheating.” She called the episode a “significant distraction and embarrassment” for all Canadians.

Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue said this week he learned of a possible drone incident involving the men’s national team at the recent Copa America.

He said it was his understanding that it did not have an impact on the competitive integrity of the tournament but would not offer details.

Asked whether men’s coach Jesse Marsch was aware of possible drone usage at that tournament that ended this month in the United States, Blue said Marsch was aware after the fact and has “denounced it as a practice to his staff.” Canada lost in the Copa semifinals to Argentina 2-0.

A CONCACAF official confirmed a complaint at the 2022 W Championship but offered few details. The United States defeated Canada in the tournament final in Mexico, with both countries earning a berth in the Women’s World Cup and Olympics.

The Sports Network in Canada reported other incidents of surveillance, including at the Tokyo Games, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the filming.

FIFA declined comment when asked by the AP if the matter would lead to a wider investigation into drone spying in soccer.

The case is an embarrassment for the Canadian federation, which is teaming with the United States and Mexico to host the 2026 men’s World Cup across North America.

Meanwhile, Canada’s sanctions are likely heading for the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s special Olympic court in Paris.

Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee said late Saturday that they planned to appeal the points deduction, which makes it difficult, but not impossible for Canada’s women to advance to the knockout round.

“We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian women’s Olympic soccer team who as far as we understand played no role in this matter,” David Shoemaker, the Olympic committee’s CEO and secretary general, said in a statement. “In support of the athletes, together with Canada Soccer, we are exploring rights of appeal related to the six-point deduction at this Olympic tournament.”

Interim coach Andy Spence is leading the team, along with assistant Neil Wood and goalkeepers coach Jen Herst.

“There’s no training for this,” Spence said at practice on Saturday. “I’ve been asked to lead and that’s what I’m going to do to my very best capabilities.”

The Canadians won their opener 2-1 over New Zealand.

Former national team player Diana Matheson said in a social media post that “Canadians are with you. ... Take 6 points away from us? Fine, let’s go get 9.”

The scandal erupted in the days leading up to the Olympic tournament when New Zealand complained about drones flying over practice. Two team staff members, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi, were sent home.

Priestman initially removed herself from the opener but was later suspended for the tournament.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

AP PHOTOS: In this Indian city, locals patrol the beaches at night to protect endangered sea turtles

2025-04-07 11:51 Last Updated At：12:02

CHENNAI, India (AP) — For nearly four decades, residents in southern India's coastal city of Chennai have patrolled moonlit beaches at night trying to protect sea turtles and their hatchlings that for millennia have nested along these shores.

Hungry dogs, locals looking for a snack, and disorienting lights are among the hazards facing the olive ridley turtles and their eggs, which can take up to 60 days to hatch. Many turtles are caught offshore in fishing nets, which this year alone have killed hundreds of them in the area.

Nonetheless, local residents have collected and helped to protect more than 260,000 turtle eggs this year in Tamil Nadu state, whose capital is Chennai.

Patrollers scan the beaches looking for turtles nesting or small sand mounds that might indicate eggs are buried underneath. When they find a cache of eggs, they transport them to a protected area and rebury them at the same depth as they were initially found. This is crucial since temperatures affect what sex the turtles will be. Researchers say rising temperatures from human-caused planet warming are resulting in fewer male turtles being born.

“We cover a lot of ground, at least 30 kilometers (18 miles), by breaking into smaller groups and each group walking seven or eight kilometers,” said a volunteer named Melvin, who goes only by his first name and has been working with turtle conservation groups for several years.

The patrols begin around midnight each day during the turtle nesting season, which runs from December to April.

The Associated Press saw one volunteer dig carefully at a possible nesting site until his hand was elbow-deep in the sand, where he found the eggs. He and other volunteers carefully brought the eggs out, counting a total of 137 of them. They were placed in a cloth bag and brought to the safe haven of a nearby hatchery.

“I come during my summer holidays to Chennai just to do this,” said Yajur Karthik, an 11-year-old volunteer from nearby Bengaluru city who has been coming for the last two years to help protect the turtles.

Karthik said he feels it's important to help conserve the turtles given the growing number of challenges these ancient creatures face.

“Only one in a thousand turtles survives,” he said.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.