There were two rooms, two atmospheres at the Eiffel Tower stadium. On Saturday morning, from the first match of the men’s beach volleyball tournament, the Cubans Jorge Alayo and Noslen Díaz ignited the crowd, although soaked, with their intense and spectacular play. Twenty-four hours later, the crowd, still in large numbers, expressed itself from the start of the day, but in a completely different way, for a much less enthusiastic reason.
Steven Van de Velde was booed when he entered the competition, but there was no outcry. Not everyone was necessarily aware that the Dutchman spent thirteen months in prison in 2016 and 2017 after being convicted of rape by the Aylesbury court (Great Britain). In 2014, when he was 19, he had travelled to England to have sex with a 12-year-old girl he had met on Facebook. “You were playing for the national team and that’s what she saw in you,” had accused the prosecutor.
Steven Van de Velde has already returned to this affair. “It is the biggest mistake of my life. I can never go back and I must assume the consequences,” he said in the Dutch press. But it was impossible to discuss with him this Sunday the reception of the public after his defeat, in a duo with Matthew Immers, against the Italians Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula (22-20, 21-10, 15-1). It was decided that he would not speak to the press during these Olympic Games, nor is he staying in the Olympic village, apparently at his request.
“The past is the past. He was punished (…) For me, he is an example of someone who has grown and learned from this.”
His teammate Matthew Immers
Only his teammate Matthew Immers returned to the controversy : “The past is the past. He was punished (…) To me, he’s an example of someone who has grown up and learned from it. We still try to enjoy it.” Not sure the word “enjoyment” goes down well. Just look at the way Paula Radcliffe, now a BBC consultant, backpedaled after saying: “I know he’s married now and settled down. It’s hard to punish someone twice. If he’s managed to turn his life around after being in prison and qualify, then we have to wish him luck.”
“I was stressed, I was asked a question about the lifetime exclusion from the Olympics. I can only apologize for having said that,” The former marathon world champion has recovered. “It’s a very complex debate, that of the life sanction,” recalled DTN Axelle Guiguet, Tuesday, explaining that in France, he would have appeared before the disciplinary committee of the FFVolley and would have inherited a license suspension of an unknown duration. The British Olympic Committee (BOA), for its part, communicated on the fact that its regulations would not have allowed him to be selected.
“Experts said there was no risk of recurrence”
The Dutch Olympic Committee, in a statement
The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) agreed to send him to Paris, justifying itself in a press release: “Van de Velde has fully complied with all the requirements (set by the Federation). The experts have stated that there is no risk of a repeat offence. He has always been transparent about this matter and deeply regrets the consequences of his actions on the victims.” “He has been playing again for a long time (2018). He has played in World Cups, Euros… but things are different when you get to the Games, where everything is exaggerated,” said former swimmer Pieter Van den Hoogenbandhead of mission of the Dutch delegation. Not sure if the formula is appropriate.
