Steven van de Velde, the Dutch beach volleyball player who served time in prison for having sex with a 12-year-old girl, received a mixture of boos and applause when he was introduced before losing his opening match on Sunday at the Paris Olympics.
Steven van de Velde - The Canadian PressPARIS —
“The general matter of sex conviction and sex-related crime is definitely a more important issue than sport,” van Vliet said in the mixed zone after the match. “In his case, we’ve got a person who has been convicted, who did his sentence, who did everything afterwards which he can do to be able to compete again.”
There were no other signs of protest at the match, which came on the first sunny day at the Olympics’ iconic venue at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. “He has been playing with him many, many tournaments for many, many years — the last three years. It has never been an issue,” Van Vliet said. “I’m not judging if it should have been or not, but it has never been an issue. And now, all of a sudden, for them, it’s a surprise.”
“We want to talk about sports, especially him. We are very much aware that if we bring Steven out here it won’t go about his sport and his performance," he said. “We are here to create an environment for all our athletes in which they can perform well." Security for the match was no different than it was on Saturday, when the competition opened at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Most of the fans' attention was focused on the crowd-pleasing antics of Italy's Adrian Carambula, whose Skyball serve spun high above the Olympic rings adorning the arena's roof.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why is convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde allowed in Olympics?Steven van de Velde pleaded guilty to raping a 12-year-old British girl when he was 19, after meeting the minor online and chatting with her for months.
Read more »
Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon sworn in as labour minister, replacing O'ReganOTTAWA — The federal Liberals' new minister for labour and seniors is Steven MacKinnon, who most recently served as government House leader. The Gatineau, Que.
Read more »
Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon sworn in as labour minister, replacing O'ReganOTTAWA — The federal Liberals' new minister for labour and seniors is Steven MacKinnon, who most recently served as government House leader. The Gatineau, Que.
Read more »
Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon sworn in as labour minister, replacing O'ReganOTTAWA — The federal Liberals' new minister for labour and seniors is Steven MacKinnon, who most recently served as government House leader. The Gatineau, Que.
Read more »
Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon sworn in as labour minister, replacing O'ReganOTTAWA — The federal Liberals' new minister for labour and seniors is Steven MacKinnon, who most recently served as government House leader. The Gatineau, Que.
Read more »
Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon sworn in as labour minister, replacing O'ReganCanada's construction news
Read more »