PARIS | With the drone spying scandal growing, we may wonder if the gold medal won by the Canadian team at the 2021 Tokyo Games will not change hands.

After gaining access to two sources close to the team who remained anonymous for fear of reprisal, the TSN network revealed that Canada spied on two of Japan’s training sessions before the duel between the two teams.

• Also read: Espionage was the order of the day: Canadian coach excluded from the games

• Also read: Controversy over drones in Canadian football: “We are not cheaters,” says Quebec defender Vanessa Gilles

“The new information suggesting that the gold medal won in Tokyo may have been tarnished makes me sick and sick to my stomach,” said David Shoemaker, CEO and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), on Friday morning. “Many of you have heard me say over the past three years that winning the soccer gold medal in Tokyo against all odds and during a pandemic is one of my fondest Olympic memories.”

On Wednesday, when the scandal broke, Shoemaker said he thought it unlikely Canada was guilty of espionage in Tokyo because the Games were held during a pandemic and access was restricted, but he would now have to travel to the evidence of reprehensible acts being committed.

Should Canada withdraw from the Olympic tournament given the extent of the revelations? “I am confident that the Canadian team will continue the tournament,” stressed the COC chief.

Shoemaker shares the views of Canadians who regret the situation.

“I am still shocked and disappointed,” he said. Like the Canadians, I am very frustrated. Excluding a player or coach from the Olympic team is the ultimate sanction we can impose.”

Stephanie Labbé, Canada’s goalkeeper in Tokyo, who is affectionately called the “Minister of Defense” because of her performances, has responded to allegations of cheating on social media.

“I studied very hard every night before games. I watched videos of players taking penalties for the national team and club. With that information, I made my own decisions. No drone videos were pulled. Don’t confuse great janitorial work with cheating,” she wrote on X.

The transparency map

Shoemaker assures that the COC will focus on transparency in the ongoing FIFA investigation, even if it means damaging Canada’s image.

“In our six years at the Olympic Committee, we have always been transparent and we will not sacrifice those values, even if it is to the detriment of Canadian sport,” he said. The basic principle is to do the right thing. The only way is to win the right way. That is the message we want to send. We will work with the FIFA investigation to get to the bottom of this.”

At this time, the COC does not know how far FIFA’s investigation has progressed and does not know whether New Zealand has lodged a protest against the validity of the result of the match between the two teams. Canada beat New Zealand 2-1 in Saint-Étienne on Thursday.

A painful memory for Surin

Former sprinter Bruny Surin is not experiencing his first rodeo. Ben Johnson’s positive test at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul shocked Canadian athletics. Canada’s Chef de Mission then competed in his first games in the long jump.

“I was a victim of this for years,” he said. It’s not fair. Yes, this incident happened, but the media must not forget the other athletes. When I arrived in Paris a few days ago, I hoped there would be no controversy. And all this is happening.”

COC officials met with the media to open the Games and officially open the Canada Olympic House in Paris, a first since 2018. Let’s say that unlike previous editions, there was no time for celebrations. The spy story obviously stole the show after the Tour.

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