This week’s “Around the Commercial Drone Industry” news round-up looks at drone news from the Summer Olympics in Paris. From successful counter-drone operations to the use of UAVs to spy on athletic opponents to the deployment of drones to help train swimmers, uncrewed systems are making their mark at the 2024 Games.

Counter Drone Operations

CBS News reported that “More than 50 drones have been intercepted by French law enforcement agencies” since the 2024 Paris Olympics began. According to sources, not all of the drones that were intercepted were “rogue” in nature. Instead, French officials said, “Many were simply people breaking regulations on where or how high they could fly, or flying drones in rough weather, potentially putting people below at risk.”

The counter drone efforts were part of a massive public safety effort on the part of the French government. According to the CBS report, “France mobilized police and military forces from across the country and even drafted in hundreds of officers from abroad to help secure the city and its scattered Olympic venues. The biggest security deployment was for the opening ceremony on July 26, when 45,000 local and national police, backed up by 18,000 military personnel, converged on Paris and the surrounding region.”

UAVs Engaged to Spy on Opponents

In the first major scandal of the 2024 Games, the Canadian women’s soccer team was caught using drones to spy on an opponent. A GOAL report details the athletic espionage, stating that the scandal began when a drone was flown “over a training session of the New Zealand women's soccer team, Canada's first opponent at the tournament." This, the story said, “resulted in two members of staff being sent home and head coach Bev Priestman being suspended - and then banned.” The rules violation caused the Canadian women’s team to suffer a six-point deduction, but it was allowed to play on in the tournament. Further reporting suggests that this is not the first time the Canadian soccer team has used drones to spy on opponents.

Drones Help Train Swimmers

Although Commercial UAV News focuses on drones that fly, we could not resist reporting on the innovative use of aquatic drones to help train athletes. Specifically, these drones have been used to enhance “training and performance analysis” of swimmers at the Games. A video posted by ZengIT shows how uncrewed systems are transforming swimming training by “providing detailed video analysis, real-time feedback, and enhanced safety.” Check it out below: