Daily Edition – Day 1: Zero days since last incident

The GIST: Canada Soccer’s drone scandal escalated yesterday with a jaw-dropping TSN report that staff members and contractors from both CanWNT and CanMNT have used drones to spy on other teams for years, including during CanWNT’s gold medal run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

• Canada Soccer has since suspended CanWNT head coach Bev Priestman, citing “additional information” about drone use prior to the Paris Olympics. Shocking doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The context: On Monday, the Canadian Olympic Committee sent home CanWNT analyst Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander, who allegedly flew a drone over No. 28 New Zealand’s practice. Priestman apologized for the incident and stepped away from coaching duties for Canada’s Olympic opener against New Zealand, which the red and white won 2–1 yesterday.

The new details: TSN’s bombshell report dropped after the game, alleging a culture of spying that involves both the women’s and men’s teams and dates back to at least 2019, even being carried out amid the strict environment at the Tokyo Games.

• One anonymous source said a coach filmed a Japanese women’s national team soccer practice — CanWNT notably went on to draw the host nation 1–1 in their opening group stage match before ultimately winning gold.

• Staffers were allegedly told they could lose their jobs if they did not fulfill demands to spy on other teams. At this time, it’s not clear if any CanWNT or CanMNT players were aware of the reported spying.

What’s next: FIFA and Canada Soccer are investigating the allegations, with the latter promising to make their findings public. Needless to say, there’s no place for this in sports — and the team’s suddenly tainted gold medal defense hangs in the balance ahead of Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET group stage match against No. 2 France.

The GIST: The glitz, the celebs, the ’fits — there’s nothing quite like the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Here’s what to expect from what’s bound to be an epic display in Paris.

An ambitious venue: This will be the first Summer Games Opening Ceremony to take place outside of a stadium. Instead, roughly 94 boats will carry athletes down 6 km of the Seine River, with the City of Lights as the star of the show (other than les Phryges, of course).

• With 80 giant screens and thousands of seats along the route, it’ll be one of the most accessible Opening Ceremonies ever.

De Grasse and Charron carry the Maple Leaf: Team Canada athletes elected sprinter Andre De Grasse and weightlifter Maude Charron to bear the Canadian flag during the Parade of Nations.

• Both captured gold in Tokyo, and De Grasse is the Great White North’s most decorated Summer Olympian ever with six medals in only two trips to the Games. Can’t wait to see what he does during number three.

Céline Dion and Lady Gaga rumored to perform: The plan for the entertainment is more secret than Beyoncé’s Hot Ones appearance, but rumor has it these two gold medal–level divas will bless fans with an appearance. Near, far, wherever you are…it’s going to be epic.

This is not a drill! Peoples Jewellers is hosting a Friends and Family sale through Sunday — and this weekend, we’re all in the fam. Take 20-40% off everything, including:

🥇 Ultra-trendy gold necklaces and rings, so you can stack to your heart’s content.

🦪 A classy AF string of pearls, for Audrey Hepburn vibes on a budget.

💍 That engagement ring you’ve been eyeing for years — it’s so kind of you to handle that for your S.O.!

💎 A girl’s best friend. Peoples exclusively sells conflict-free diamonds, after all.

Peoples will even toss in an extra 5% off every purchase on top of the sale price, just ’cause they love ya. Forty-eight hours to load up on the jewels you’ve been dreaming about? Don’t leave it to a buzzer-beater — shop now, and shine on.

From two-time Olympian to corporate queen, Team Canada swimmer Julia Wilkinson has done it all. We caught up with Wilkinson — who repped the red and white at the 2008 and 2012 Games — to chat about her Olympic experience and her transition to the business world post-swimming days.

• The entire conversation is can’t miss, but her recollection of her favorite Olympic memory is a real tear-jerker:

“As someone who grew up in a small town…when I got up on the blocks at the Olympics, I knew that I wasn’t just racing for myself. I was racing for my family, my community, everyone who had supported me through my career…

I remember I pulled myself out of the pool and I looked up into the stands and I saw my dad and he was just beaming and he was giving me this huge thumbs up…he was so proud of me, but he was not surprised…it wasn’t just me that made that final. It was my dad and my mom and my sister and my community and my coaches and all these people who believed in me.

When I think about the upcoming Paris Games, I’m so looking forward to the stories of these athletes who are going to surprise the world, but not surprise themselves or not surprise those people in their life.”

Grab some tissues and listen to the full, inspiring episode with Wilkinson. And while you’re at it, subscribe to The GIST of It for even more athlete interviews throughout the Games.

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