The story of the Dutch volleyball player Steven van de Velde eloquently shows what the world sport has become lately. Officials of the International Olympic Committee have turned a blind eye to the fact that an athlete who was convicted of sexual acts against a 12-year-old girl will go to the Games, the portal reports. Sportbox.ru .
Eight years ago, the villain was sentenced to four years in prison, of which he served only one. After that, van de Velde returned to beach volleyball and in 2024 fulfilled the conditions for admission to the Olympics in Paris.
At the same time, it should be understood that the silver medalists of the last Games, Russians Oleg Stoyanovsky and Vyacheslav Krasilnikov, miss the competitions. Beach volleyball stars simply cannot perform at international competitions, unlike a pedophile.
Special conditions have been created for the Dutch pervert in France. He was allowed to settle separately from everyone, which in his case would undoubtedly be a blessing. But the IOC officials, as always, tried to lay straws and smooth out the sharp corners.
“The country’s Olympic Committee regrets that many have been affected by the renewed attention to the past of Steven van de Velde. We are taking measures to create a friendly environment while participating in the Games in Paris. Van de Velde voluntarily wanted to settle in an alternative home and will be isolated from communication with the press during his stay at the Olympics,” the organization said in a statement.
At the same time, the cowardly IOC President Thomas Bach did not dare to speak publicly about the admission of an athlete with such a scandalous past, shifting responsibility to the Netherlands. This is not Criticize Russia, then you can run into trouble.
“This is a question of the NOC of the Netherlands. I do not have a personal position on this issue, this is their decision, which they are obliged to justify,” Bach said.
On July 28, van de Velde and his partner Matthew Immers played their first game at the beach volleyball court, which is located next to the Eiffel Tower. The Dutch Beach Volleyball Federation announced this meeting on social networks, although officials preferred to close the comments to the post — apparently afraid to find out the true opinion of the fans.
But the whole world saw how ordinary people treat Stephen. At the presentation of the players before the start of the match, the stands greeted the volleyball player with a loud hum. Throughout the entire confrontation, the public applauded the actions of all participants, except van de Velde. He got only rare applause from his compatriots. On Stephen’s first innings, the audience generally shouted under his arm to knock down the athlete.
Whether the pressure of the stands, or the lack of skill, but the Dutch duo failed to start the Olympics with a victory, losing to volleyball players from Italy Adrian Karambula and Alex Ranieri, who were considered outsiders. The meeting ended with a score 1:2 (20:22; 21:19; 13:15). The audience honored the winners standing up, including even van de Velde’s fellow countrymen.