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His participation in the Olympics sparked discussion: beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde represented the Netherlands – despite being a convicted sex offender. Now, he has broken down in tears in his first interview since the Olympics.
Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde was allowed to compete in Paris despite being convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016. This was one of the biggest controversies – the 29-year-old did not speak to journalists during the tournament. Now, in his first interview since the Olympics, he has revealed that he often considered not competing.
Sitting in front of the cameras for Dutch TV station NOS, Van de Velde looked visibly emotional. He said he decided to race despite the headwind. But: “I thought: ‘I don’t want that.’ I’m not going to give someone else the power to decide that they can bully me or get rid of me.”
He understands the excitement. But the beach volleyball player, now married with a young son, stressed: “I’m not the same person I was 10 years ago. I can’t change people’s perception of me. People can always blame me for what happened, but that’s OK because it is what it is. It’s her right. So I accept that.” Van de Velde broke down in tears during the interview.
Van de Velde and his partner Mathieu Immers reached the quarter-finals in Paris. The two played four matches in the stadium in front of the Eiffel Tower – Van der Velde was whistled and booed by the crowd several timesThe Dutch did not stay overnight in the Olympic Village as they had requested.
The audience’s reaction affected Van der Velde
Van der Velde now says his game may have been affected by the crowd’s reaction. “When I think about how much I focused on the little things – how much I wanted to be on the pitch and not worry about the opponent’s tactics – then you could say it had an impact, but don’t blame the team. “The crowd.
The Dutchman spent 13 months in prison after being convicted of rape in the UK. Lawyers and fans have repeatedly called for him to be kicked out of the club. Olympic Games However, the IOC said it had no authority to do so.
In a statement published on the Dutch Volleyball Federation’s website before the Olympics, Van de Velde said of his past: “I can’t take it back, so I will have to face the consequences. This was the biggest mistake of my life.”
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