Following Steven van de Velde’s selection to the Netherlands beach volleyball squad for Paris 2024, chairwoman Anna Meares stated that a convicted rapist would not be selected for the Australian Olympic team.
Van de Velde, who is currently 29 years old, admitted to raping a 12-year-old British child when he was 19 and was given a four-year prison sentence in 2016. After completing just 12 months of his four-year sentence, the athlete returned to volleyball and was chosen in June to play for the Netherlands at the Olympics in Paris.
Australia, on the other hand, would not select a convicted rapist to compete in the Games, according to Meares, who is unwilling to discuss the selection of any other team in particular.
The chairwoman declared: “If an athlete or staff member had that conviction, they would not be allowed to be a member of our team… We have stringent policies on safeguarding within our team.”
On Van de Velde’s selection
The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) told BBC Sport after Van de Velde’s initial selection for Paris: “After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him – privately and professionally – self-insight and reflection.”
Moreover, the Dutch Volleyball Federation (NeVoBo) established standards in their “Guidelines Integrity Record” that outlines requirements for players to resume competition following a conviction. According to the NOC, Van de Velde’s return to the sport complied with these guidelines. Furthermore, the athlete has been given alternate housing in Paris and will not be residing in the athletes’ village, according to the Dutch publication NL Times.
As per the International Olympic Committee (IOC), individual committees are in charge of choosing athletes for the Games.
Source: BBC