Canada Women's gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics has been called into question by new information brought to light around the spy drone scandal which has seen head coach Bev Priestman suspended from the Paris Games, according to the country's Olympic Committee chief.
Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) CEO David Shoemaker said he has been made aware of information which he says "could tarnish that Olympic performance in Tokyo".
"It makes me ill, it makes me sick to my stomach to think that there could be something that calls it into question," he added.
Three years ago at the rearranged 2020 Olympics, Canada beat Sweden on penalties to claim their first major title.
Canada's 2024 Olympic campaign in France got off to a winning start against New Zealand on Thursday, but not before assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, were sent home in connection with what the COC believed to be two separate incidents of a drone being used to record Football Ferns training sessions.
Englishwoman Priestman initially stood down only for the first game, with Shoemaker saying it was unlikely that the head coach was aware of the drone incidents in St Etienne.
However things escalated on Friday when Canada Soccer announced Durham-born Priestman, who was previously England Women's assistant coach under manager Phil Neville, had been sent home from Paris after "additional information" came to their attention regarding previous drone use that took place before the 2024 Olympics.
The COC also now believes Priestman was "highly likely" to have been aware of two alleged incidents involving drones being used to spy on New Zealand.
"In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women's National Team Head Coach, Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review," Canada Soccer CEO and General Secretary Kevin Blue said in an emailed statement.
Shoemaker says he currently feels comfortable keeping the footballers in the Olympic tournament after dishing out the "ultimate sanction" to the three staff.
When the alleged St Etienne incidents first came to light, Shoemaker shared, based on the evidence at hand, that it appeared unlikely that Priestman was aware. He also posited that similar behaviour was unlikely to have been carried out under strict Covid-19 restrictions in Tokyo.
However based on what he has now learned, Shoemaker revealed: "Yes, there now appears to be information that could tarnish that Olympic performance in Tokyo.
"It makes me ill, it makes me sick to my stomach to think that there could be something that calls it into question."
Addressing a press conference at Canada Olympic House, Shoemaker added: "One of the key pieces of information was the conclusion from Canada Soccer that she needed to be suspended based on their accumulation of facts.
"I've seen some of the information they have, and we gathered some additional information ourselves.
"That made me conclude that she was highly likely to have been aware of the incidents here in St Etienne."
Priestman issued a statement on Wednesday apologising for the alleged incidents.
Following the incident, the 38-year-old said: "I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for.
"I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program."
She also voluntarily withdrew from coaching Canada's opening match against New Zealand on Thursday, which they won 2-1 under assistant coach Andy Spence.
