Thursday Sports

OLYMPICS

• The Canadian women’s soccer team will face Germany in a quarterfinals match in Marseille on Saturday after overcoming a six-point penalty to advance past the group stage. Canada beat Colombia 1-0 on Wednesday on Vanessa Gilles’ goal in the 62nd minute, going unbeaten in group play. The team was docked six points because of a drone-spying scandal.
• The ruling to dismiss a Canadian appeal on the drone spying scandal involving the women’s soccer team at the Paris Olympics has put former coach John Herdman at the centre of the controversy. The ruling said Canada Soccer itself pointed the finger at Herdman on July 27th, saying that the use of a drone started when he was the head coach of the program. Current head coach Bev Priestman, who has been sent home due to the scandal, was an assistant under Herdman.
• French swimmer Léon Marchand thrilled fans at the Paris Olympics Wednesday, winning back-to-back gold medals in two races about two hours apart and setting the Olympic record in both. Marchand took the gold in the 200-metre butterfly and the 200 breaststroke after having already won gold in dominating fashion in the 400 individual medley. The 22-year-old Frenchman has drawn some comparisons to U-S Olympics great Michael Phelps.

MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays will get a rest day on Thursday before kicking off a three-game series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees on Friday. MLB.com is listing the Jays’ starter for the first game as Kevin Gausman, while the Yankees are expected to start former Jay Marcus Stroman. Toronto is coming off a four-game set against Baltimore, in which the Orioles took three wins, including Wednesday’s 10-4 decision over the Jays.

WCBL

Saskatoon 5 Moose Jaw 3
Weyburn 14 Regina 11
Medicine Hat 11 Swift Current 7
Sylvan Lake 10 Lethbridge 2
Brooks 7 Edmonton 2
Okotoks 16 Fort McMurray

CFL

• The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be without receiver Drew Wolitarsky and offensive lineman Pat Neufeld when the team hosts the BC Lions on Thursday. Both Wolitarsky, listed with a shoulder injury, and Neufeld, who suffered a knee injury, have been moved to the six-game injured list. The Bombers currently have 13 players on the injured list, the highest of any team in the CFL.
• Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo has resumed practising this week but isn’t expected to start when his team faces off against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday. Davis Alexander, who came off the bench to throw two second-half touchdowns in Montreal’s 20-16 win over Saskatchewan last week, is expected to get the start in Hamilton. Montreal leads the CFL East Division at 6-1 while Hamilton is in fourth with a 2-and-5 record.

(Canadian Press)