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Nearly two months after announcing an independent, external review into the Paris Olympics drone spying scandal, Canada Soccer — like everyone else — is waiting on its findings.

Canada women’s coach Bev Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi are serving one-year FIFA suspensions in the wake of New Zealand’s Olympic Committee filing a complaint with the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit, alleging drones were flown over a pair of pre-tournament practice sessions.

Mander and Lombardi were sent home immediately. Priestman initially removed herself from coaching the opening match but left the team after allegations of a wider culture of spying.

FIFA subsequently banned all three “from taking part in any football-related activity for a period of one year.”

Canada Soccer announced plans for the independent probe on July 24, saying it would “address the circumstances of the current matter, and more broadly, will seek to understand the historical culture of competitive ethics within all of our programs.”

“The outcome of this review will be shared publicly and corrective actions, if necessary, will be taken,” it added.

More than eight weeks later, Canada Soccer is still waiting for information to share. Priestman, while suspended, continues to get paid.

“Bev Priestman remains a paid staff member of Canada Soccer pending the conclusions of the review,” Canada Soccer said in a statement to The Canadian Press.

On July 31, Canada Soccer announced it had retained Sonia Regenbogen from the law firm of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark to handle the review — “a focus on actions taken by Canada Soccer representatives related to the incident at the Olympic Games, and subsequently, any related matters of a historic nature.”

It called Regenbogen “a leading Canadian expert in conducting independent workplace investigations.”

“We will maintain prompt and transparent communication on this matter,” Canada Soccer said at the time.

Asked for a status update on the review, Canada Soccer offered little.

“We appreciate that there is interest in how the investigation is progressing, and we too look forward to its conclusions and recommendations. Given that this is an independent external investigation, we are not in control of its timelines.”

However, it said it remains “committed” to Regenbogen’s review.

The probe could shed light on past incidents of cheating. A ruling by the FIFA Appeals Committee put former Canada coach John Herdman at Ground Zero within Canada Soccer for spying on rival teams.

The July ruling, which dismissed a Canadian appeal of FIFA’s sanctions imposed on the women’s team, says Canada Soccer pointed the finger at Herdman.

“Canada is investigating the history of this matter, but we suspect that the practice of using a drone stems back to John Herdman when he was the head coach of the women’s national team. In other words, this was a practice started by one person — John Herdman — and continued by Bev Priestman,” Canada Soccer said, according to the FIFA document.

Herdman, who has said he will co-operate with the review, has declined to publicly address such allegations, citing the “integrity of the investigation.”

But he has repeated that his record was clean at the Olympics and World Cups.

“I can again clarify that at a FIFA World Cup, pinnacle event, Olympic Games, at a Youth World Cup, those activities have not been undertaken,” he said in July. “And I’ve got nothing else to say on that matter.”

Herdman, now head coach of Toronto FC, led the Canadian women to two Olympic medals, winning bronze in 2012 and 2016, as well as the 2011 and 2015 Women’s World Cup. He also took the Canadian men to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Toronto GM Jason Hernandez offered little this week when asked about the spying investigation, saying he was reserving “feelings, thoughts or determinations until the determinations are made and it all comes out.”

Former Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson was also reluctant to comment on the issue. But he suggested such spying “probably” happens all over the soccer world.

“We’ve seen a lot of things that have happened over the years in my days playing, with people watching and spying on us,” Hutchinson, who played for clubs in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Turkey and won a record 104 caps for Canada, said in an interview.

“I think countries, clubs, they find ways of trying to get a little bit of an advantage in certain things,” he added.

The sixth-ranked Canadian women return to action Oct. 25 against third-ranked Spain at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

Canada Soccer has yet to announce who will coach the team. Assistant Andy Spence ran the team at the Olympics in Priestman’s absence.

Canada managed to reach the Olympic knockout round despite being docked six points for the spying scandal which also saw Canada Soccer fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($319,655).

The Canadians were eliminated in the quarterfinals by No. 4 Germany in a penalty shootout.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Already an NBA MVP and an Olympic gold medalist, All-Star center Joel Embiid now has until the end of the decade to try to win his first NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers.

With another maximum contract secured, Embiid wants to chase that title in Philly — and remain a Sixer for the rest of his career.

“Philadelphia is home,” Embiid wrote on Instagram.

A seven-time NBA All-Star, Embiid and the 76ers agreed to a $193 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season, a person familiar with the deal said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not yet been announced.

The 30-year-old Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, broke his own news early Friday morning when he posted a photo on Instagram of him signing a contract alongside team owner Josh Harris.

“I want to be here the rest of my career. I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family,” Embiid wrote. “There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started.”

Embiid, who dropped a franchise-record 70 points last season against San Antonio, signed off with the familiar 76ers hashtag, “#trusttheprocess.”

Embiid — still in the second year of a $196 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season — became the third cornerstone player this offseason to sign a massive contract with the 76ers. The team hasn’t won an NBA title since 1983.

The 76ers enticed Paul George to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign a four-year, $212 million contract. The NBA’s Most Improved Player last season, Tyrese Maxey, was rewarded with a five-year, $204 million extension. The 76ers committed more than $400 million in salary to two players they believe position them as the top contender to dethrone the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

George and Maxey both congratulated Embiid on the extension on Instagram.

Throw in Embiid’s deal and the Sixers are counting on a Big Three that can contend for the life of their contracts. Embiid, though, has a history of injuries and has yet to lead to the franchise out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and averaged 34.7 points in just 39 games last season.

Originally selected by the 76ers with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Embiid was named NBA MVP in the 2022-23 season and he won a gold medal with Team USA at this year’s Paris Olympics.

He has five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods, and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.

“Joel has cemented himself as one of the greatest Sixers of all time and is well on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game. We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come,” Harris said. “Joel is a great family man, leader, and person. He is an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely – if ever – seen. He is integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA Championship, and we are honored that he continues to choose this organization as his NBA home.”

In 433 games (all starts) with the franchise, Embiid has averaged 27.9 points on 50.4% shooting, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots across 31.9 minutes per contest. He ranks first in franchise history in scoring average (27.9 points per game), fifth in blocked shots (720), tied for sixth in triple-doubles (seven), and seventh in total points scored (12,071). Embiid also ranks third on the franchise list with eight 50-point games.

“I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia,” Embiid said in a team statement. “Through all the ups and downs, this city and the fans have been everything, and I am so grateful for how they’ve embraced me.”

A youth soccer player, Embiid didn’t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.

A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA. Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid’s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.

Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men — and richest players — of his generation.

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AP NBA:

MONTREAL – Canadian National Railway Co. told employees this week it plans to relocate its operations in Jasper to near Hinton, Alta., about 100 kilometres away.

In a memo sent to employees in the fire-ravaged town, the company said it’s aiming to increase efficiency by minimizing train stops between Edmonton and Blue River, B.C., which sits across the Rockies.

CN plans to close its Jasper bunkhouse and build a crew change facility east of Hinton, with workers slated to clock in at the new site starting in September 2025, according to the document obtained by The Canadian Press.

“CN has made the decision to implement operational changes to improve network fluidity,” regional vice-president Nicole James said in the memo.

The union representing rail workers criticized the relocation, which affects about 200 employees, though no layoffs are expected.

“This is another devastating blow to the town of Jasper, after this year’s catastrophic wildfires. Rail is one of the largest industries in Jasper, after tourism, and CN’s move will cripple this community even further,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.

“And for the workers who’ve already lost so much — some even their homes — this is a truly cruel blow.”

Union spokesman Christopher Monette noted that most residents or their spouses must work in town to qualify to live there under Jasper National Park’s residency rules. The company has told the union it will apply for an exception for the workers, he said.

CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says the railway is committed to supporting employees through the transition and keeping them updated.

“These types of changes take time to fully plan out and implement. That’s why one of our initial steps was to have this discussion with our employees as well as advising the town of Jasper,” she said in an email.

A wildfire ripped through Jasper in July, destroying a third of the mountain town and displacing many of its 4,800 residents.

The blaze also caused smoke damage to the CN bunkhouse, which the company says it has worked to restore since it was allowed to re-enter the community with contractors on Aug. 16.

Engineers and conductors have been reporting for work in Hinton, roughly an hour away, since the wildfire.

With roots as a fur trade outpost, Jasper launched as a railway town in the early 20th century after tracks built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway — CN’s predecessor — paved the way for the municipality.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR)

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