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Steven van de Velde, Dutch beach volleyball player convicted of rape, eliminated from Olympics

Posted on by darion

PARIS — Steven van de Velde, the Dutch beach volleyball player who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British girl in 2016, was eliminated from the Paris Olympics on Sunday night when he and his partner Matthew Immers lost to Brazil in three sets.

In his fourth and final match, Van de Velde was again the subject of whistles and boos every time he served.

In match point, with Van de Velde serving and the crowd cheering, Evandro hit the winning shot to give the Dutch team a 21-16, 21-16 win, ending the Dutch team’s participation in the Summer Olympics.

Steven van de Velde, the Dutch beach volleyball player convicted of rape, was eliminated from the 2024 Olympic Games after losing to Brazil on August 4, 2024. Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images
Van de Velde spent 13 months in prison after being convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl in England in 2016. Evandro/Arthur vs. van de Velde/Immers

The teammates hugged, shook hands with opponents and referees as usual after the match, and then sat on the bench hugging each other for several minutes.

Van de Velde waved away to the crowd and found the orange-clad Dutch fans who clapped and booed him.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster. That’s how I see it,” Immers said. “We fought. We enjoyed every moment. So I’m really proud of it. It was the coolest stadium I’ve ever played in. … I’m sad we couldn’t show our level. But everything around it, I enjoyed it.”

As he did throughout the tournament, Van de Velde did not come through the mix to talk to reporters, as is typical for all Olympians. Immers said his partner needed a mental break.

Fans booed van de Velde throughout the match in Paris. Evandro/Arthur vs. van de Velde/Immers

“If I can speak for him, after we lost the game, we were disappointed,” Immers said. “But we said, ‘Look what we did together. Look how hard we fought with all the attention on us.’ We stuck together. We cried together off the court and said, ‘OK, let’s just enjoy this moment.’ And we did. So I’m glad we did it this way.”

Van de Velde, 29, spent 13 months in prison after being convicted of rape in 2016 in England.

OLYMPIC 2024 IN PARIS

Although victims’ rights advocates, lawmakers and fans had called for him to be barred from the Olympics, the IOC said it could not stop the Netherlands from sending an athlete who qualified in the usual way.

Van de Velde rose from the bench and waved to the crowd as he was introduced before the match, gesturing towards the orange-clad Dutch fans.

Van de Velde’s teammate Matthew Immers said the pair will remain a team after the Olympics. Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images

Asked about the reaction of the usually positive crowd in the liveliest and most festive stadium in Paris, Evandro said: “We can control what happens on our side of the net, not what happens on the other side of the net.”

“It’s something they have to deal with,” the three-time Olympian said.

The Dutch finished the group stage with a 1-2 record, winning the three-team tie-break thanks to a higher set win-loss ratio

The Dutch duo lost to Brazil in three sets. AFP via Getty Images

This, however, meant that in the round of 16 they would face Brazilians Evandro and Arthur, who had not lost a set in four matches at the Paris Games.

Immers said he and Van de Velde would remain a team, first at the European Championships in the Netherlands a week after the Olympics, and then at the Dutch championships.

“We still have ninth place in our first Olympics. And I’m proud of that,” said Immers, who is 23. “And we’re moving on.”