(Bloomberg) -- Defending Olympic women’s football champions Canada have been accused of using a drone to spy on the 28th-ranked New Zealand team ahead of the Paris Games.
The drone was flown over the New Zealand team’s training session in the city of Saint Etienne in central France on Monday, the New Zealand Olympic Committee said in a statement Wednesday.
The Kiwi team, known as the Football Ferns, reported the incident to the police, who detained the drone operator.
New Zealand has formally lodged the incident with the International Olympic Committee integrity unit and asked Canada for a full review.
The Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement that it’s “shocked and disappointed.” The Canadians said the person detained is a non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team.
“We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee,” the statement said.
“We are reviewing next steps with the IOC, Paris 2024, Canada Soccer, and FIFA.”
Espionage is not uncommon in sport, with some teams and athletes using any means to gain an edge over competitors.
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