Convicted criminal, volleyball player eliminated from Olympics

Paris — Dutch beach volleyball player and convicted rapist Steven van de Velde was eliminated from the Paris Olympics on 4 August, 2024, after he and his partner Matthew Immers lost to Brazil in straight sets. The match ended with scores of 21-16, 21-16.

Van de Velde had been under intense scrutiny since qualifying for the Olympics due to his 2016 rape conviction. He faced a hostile atmosphere throughout the tournament, with crowds at his matches reacting to his serves with boos and jeers.

Van de Velde, 29, was convicted and served 13 months in a UK prison for raping a 12-year-old British girl. He was transferred to the Netherlands before serving his full sentence, where he was released.

There had been calls for his exclusion from the Olympics from women's and sports safety groups. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a British child protection charity, had this to say after he was released from prison: "Van de Velde's lack of remorse and self-pity is breathtaking and we can only begin to imagine how distressed his victim must feel if she sees his comments."

In the end, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated it could not intervene in the Netherlands' decision to include him as he qualified through standard procedures. The Dutch IOC took measures to isolate Van de Velde from his teammates during the Games and barred him from speaking to the media.