Canada loses Olympic drone-spying appeal as new FIFA details emerge ahead of must-win game
The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Wednesday upheld a six-point Olympic tournament deduction for the Canadian women’s soccer team in a drone spying scandal, affirming FIFA’s choice to heavily limit the reigning gold medalist facing sharp questions abou
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Wednesday upheld a six-point deduction for the Canadian women's national soccer team in the Olympic tournament due to a drone spying scandal, agreeing with FIFA's decision to heavily penalize the reigning gold medalists. The ruling came just hours before the final games of the group stage, where 12 teams split across three divisions were set to compete, with four teams facing elimination by the end of the night. The decision had significant implications for Canada, which lost the points earned from its first two Olympic wins and now needs another victory to advance to the next round.
The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer had appealed FIFA's ruling, arguing that the players should not be punished for actions they were not involved in. However, CAS's dismissal of the appeal underscored the urgency of the situation, with the tournament's progression at stake. Canada Soccer has expressed disappointment with the result but reiterated its belief that the players should not be punished for others' actions. They have also initiated an independent external review and pledged to take swift action to restore public trust.
The ruling was based on evidence that included emails from Bev Priestman, the Canadian team's coach who was sent home amid the scandal. These emails revealed a damning picture of Canada's use of drones to spy on opposing teams' training sessions, with Priestman justifying the practice as a potentially winning strategy. The emails also implicated the Canadian men's soccer team in similar activities.
FIFA's report on the incident noted that they had reminded teams about the prohibition of using drones for spying during the Olympics and expected a full internal investigation by Canada Soccer to assess the need for further action. The scandal has raised questions about the ethics and fairness of such practices in sports, with the Canadian team now facing an uphill battle to defend their Olympic title.
The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer had appealed FIFA's ruling, arguing that the players should not be punished for actions they were not involved in. However, CAS's dismissal of the appeal underscored the urgency of the situation, with the tournament's progression at stake. Canada Soccer has expressed disappointment with the result but reiterated its belief that the players should not be punished for others' actions. They have also initiated an independent external review and pledged to take swift action to restore public trust.
The ruling was based on evidence that included emails from Bev Priestman, the Canadian team's coach who was sent home amid the scandal. These emails revealed a damning picture of Canada's use of drones to spy on opposing teams' training sessions, with Priestman justifying the practice as a potentially winning strategy. The emails also implicated the Canadian men's soccer team in similar activities.
FIFA's report on the incident noted that they had reminded teams about the prohibition of using drones for spying during the Olympics and expected a full internal investigation by Canada Soccer to assess the need for further action. The scandal has raised questions about the ethics and fairness of such practices in sports, with the Canadian team now facing an uphill battle to defend their Olympic title.