Canada’s appeal against the six-point deduction imposed on the women’s soccer team as a result of the drone spying scandal at the Paris Olympics was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Wednesday.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canada Soccer sought to have the penalty either reduced or overturned entirely, claiming it “unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in.”
With the deduction upheld, Canada, the reigning gold medalist in women’s soccer, must now beat Colombia in its final group match at 3 p.m. ET today to advance to the knockout stage of the competition. The Canadians will be eliminated from quarterfinal contention with anything other than a victory.
