PARIS (AP) — 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 partner Matthew Immers lost to Brazil in straight sets.
In his fourth and final match, Van de Velde was again subjected to a steady stream of hoots and whistles when he served the ball. With the Netherlands holding a match point and the crowd jeering, Van de Velde served, Evandro was set up for the spike and the Brazilians won 21-16, 21-16.
Van de Velde, 29, served 13 months in prison after his 2016 rape conviction in England. Although victims advocates, lawmakers and fans have called for him to be banned from the Olympics, the IOC has said it was powerless to stop the Netherlands from sending an athlete who qualified in the usual way.
Van de Velde rose from the players’ bench and waved to the crowd when he was introduced before the match, picking out the orange-clad Dutch fans who were applauding among the boos.
Van de Velde has not spoken to reporters after his matches, something typically required of all Olympians. Immers has said his partner was skipping his media responsibilities to get some mental rest.
The Dutch finished with a 1-2 record in pool play, winning the three-way tiebreaker because of a higher ratio of sets won and lost. But that left them with a round-of-16 matchup with Brazilians Evandro and Arthur, who have not lost a set in four matches at the Paris Games.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
