Beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde is a convicted criminal. Ten years later, after lengthy debates, he competes in the Olympics – and is booed. Some observers are outraged.
Steven van de Velde packed his backpack and left the beach volleyball arena beneath the Eiffel Tower without comment. The Dutchman made no comment on his controversial Olympic debut, in which sport played only a tiny supporting role. Eight years after van de Velde was sentenced to prison in England for sexually abusing a minor, the past is catching up with the athlete with great force at the biggest sporting event in the world.
When he was introduced in the stadium, there were whistles and boos from the packed stands. During the match, which van de Velde and his partner Matthew Immers lost against the Italian duo Alex Ranghieri/Adrian Carambula (20:22, 21:19, 13:15), there were hardly any expressions of discontent. The majority of the spectators cheered on the Italians, but Dutch fans also made their presence felt.
Unlike van de Velde, his teammate Immers faced the journalists afterwards – and at times this seemed just as challenging as the match before. “Has Steven ever shown you any remorse?” the athlete was asked.
“Did you consider not competing with Steven before the Olympics?” another reporter wanted to know. “You do realize that she was a twelve-year-old girl back then, don’t you?” another journalist snapped, audibly indignant. Of course, no one was interested in a sporting analysis.
No interviews in Paris
At the Olympics, every athlete is supposed to speak to journalists in a so-called mixed zone after the competition. Several dozen reporters had therefore waited for van de Velde next to the impressive steel stands at the Parc du Champ de Mars. But the 29-year-old did not show up.
This was discussed with the athlete, the Dutch Olympic team and also the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said Dutch press spokesman John van Vliet. When asked how victims of abuse might feel in light of this, the spokesman did not respond.
IOC not happy with situation
These are the circumstances surrounding Steven van de Velde’s appearance at the 2024 Summer Games. Before the Olympics began, a petition called for the athlete to be excluded. The IOC is not “happy and satisfied” with the situation, says spokesman Mark Adams. However, van de Velde has the right to rehabilitation. Van de Velde does not spend the night in the Olympic Village – he only stays there now and then for meetings with the team.
In 2016, he was sentenced to four years in prison by an English court for raping a 12-year-old girl. At the time of the crime, van de Velde was 19 years old. In total, he spent just over a year in prison after being extradited from Great Britain to the Netherlands. Afterwards, in a TV interview, he spoke of the “biggest mistake of my life”. He could not undo what had happened and would have to face the consequences.
The case has overshadowed the sporting performances with his partner Immers. He was disappointed by the huge – negative – attention. “I’ve known the guy for three or four years, we’ve played every tournament together. And only now is there this big discussion about it,” complained the athlete.
He would like to put the past behind him – but that is probably an unrealistic wish. “I’m still on social media, I’m still young,” said Immers. “But I do try to block out a few things and not read some comments.”
Source: Stern
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