Changing the narrative
CanWNT is the defending champions. They should have acted like it.
In Tokyo, the CanWNT rallied behind the slogan “Change the colour.” After two consecutive Olympic bronze medals, they were after more. Not many gave them a chance to do that, but at the end of the day, it was Les Rouges who were standing on the top step of the podium in Tokyo as Olympic champions.
The 2024 Olympics haven’t even started yet and there’s already something else changing about the team:
The narrative, and not in a good way.
Where once this was a likable and plucky underdog punching above its weight. Now, it’s a cheating bully, punching down. That change in narrative comes after New Zealand caught them spying on one of their training session, using a drone.
A simpler way to say that is that New Zealand caught them cheating.
I’m sure the CanWNT would call it “finding marginal gains,” or some such nonsense, but let’s be blunt here. It’s cheating, it reflects poorly on the the team and, by extension, the entire Canadian Olympic team.
The COC is naming its flag bearers this afternoon. And now they have to talk about this. Great. They have every right to be pissed at what happened here and to boot out all that were directly involved, which they did. Jasmine Mander and Joseph Lombardi will now need to buy a ticket if they want to watch any action in Paris. They have both been stripped of their accreditation.
Who it reflects worse on, however, is Bev Preistman. As the head coach, she is responsible for creating the culture around this team and for ensuring that represents Canada by, yes, playing to win but by also doing so with honour and respect. That’s especially the case in an Olympic Games, where the light shines a little brighter on everything.
One of two things happened here. Either Preistman has directed two of her staff to spy on the opposition, or they’ve gone rogue. Either way, it’s a poor reflection of her leadership and decision making and it should result in more than her voluntarily stepping aside for the first game of the tournament, which she has agreed to do. Andy Spence will be in charge tomorrow against a suddenly really motivated New Zealand. No one outside of Canada will be cheering for Les Rouges.
It beggars belief that Preistman didn’t know and that this wasn’t a direction from her. In fact, in talking to people with knowledge of the program last night, no one was surprised. The suggestion was that this kind of thing is very much in keeping with what they would expect from a coach from the John Herdman school — Herdman pushes the envelope (and likes to use drones) in a search for small advantages.
That’s fine, to a point, but if you cross the line and get caught there have to be consequences. And the only thing that fits here is for Preistman to lose her job.
The only question is whether you wait until after the Olympics, or if you pull the trigger now.
It’s clearly not ideal to make a coaching change at an Olympic Games, but neither is getting caught cheating.
And for what? Honestly, what is gained by spying on a New Zealand training session? Maybe you learn that they are planning on switching up their formation? A new penalty taker? Women’s football is a small world. There are very little secrets to find out.
This was an insane risk (security is off the charts at an Olympics, of course they got caught) for next to no benefit. Even if you don’t subscribe to the idea that you should win ethically, using a drone here was just stupid.
So very dumb.
This decision has taken an Olympic experience away from two people, tarnished the athletes on CanWNT (and on their wonderful achievement in Tokyo) and potentially derailed Priestman’s coaching career (who is going to hire her in the near future after this). Again, for what?
What a shame. Priestman only has herself to blame, however.
Canada plays New Zealand at 11am ET tomorrow.