Former marathon world champion Paula Radcliffe has expressed deep regret after wishing a convicted rapist competing at the Olympics “the best of luck.”
Steven van de Velde, part of the Netherlands beach volleyball team for Paris 2024, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for raping a 12-year-old British girl. The Dutch athlete, who was 19 at the time of the crime, met his victim on Facebook and traveled from Amsterdam to the UK to commit the assault in Milton Keynes.
Van de Velde, now 29, resumed his volleyball career after serving just 12 months of his sentence. He was selected for the Dutch Olympic team in June.
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Radcliffe admitted her mistake, saying, “I am mortified that I expressed it so badly and didn’t condemn the rape out loud.”
In an interview with LBC, Radcliffe initially commented, “I know that he is married now and has settled down. I think it’s a tough thing to do to punish him twice and if he’s managed to successfully turn his life around after being sent to prison, and to qualify and to be playing sport at the highest level, then I actually wish him the best of luck.”
However, Radcliffe took to social media to apologize for her remarks, clarifying her stance on second chances and the ideals of the Olympics. “I do believe in second chances after serving punishment but think the Olympics should be for those who uphold the ideals – that’s why I poorly brought the doping comparison in,” she wrote. “I myself am shocked and disappointed at how I expressed this so badly. I am very sorry and should have done much better.”
Radcliffe further explained her misstep, stating, “I wrongly jumped to explaining why legally, as I understand it, he can’t be excluded without first condemning the rape out loud – I think I assumed this went without saying.”
The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) defended Van de Velde’s selection, citing his professional counseling and adherence to the Dutch Volleyball Federation’s “Guidelines Integrity Record,” which sets conditions for athletes to resume competing after a conviction. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) emphasized that athlete selection is the responsibility of individual committees.
Women’s safety groups have criticized Van de Velde’s inclusion in the Games. Radcliffe issued a second apology, saying, “I am truly sorry for so wrongly expressing my intended views and understand that this statement can in no way repair the damage but hopefully conveys my deep regret.”
Radcliffe’s misjudgment highlights the complexities of rehabilitation and redemption, especially when juxtaposed with the high ideals of international sports events like the Olympics.
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