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Paula Radcliffe has apologised for wishing the Dutch beach volleyball player who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl “the best of luck” ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The former Olympic runner said that Steven van de Velde “shouldn’t be punished twice”. The volleyball player pled guilty to raping the British child when he was 19 and was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016.
Radcliffe was asked by Andrew Marr’s LBC programme about the decision to allow Van de Velde to compete. “I think that it is a very dangerous line to go down given that we allow people who cheat in sport and take drugs in sport to then come back and compete,” Radcliffe said in the interview.
“He was 19 at the time and he’s served his jail time and it’s a long time to carry on paying for that mistake for the rest of your life. He may well have turned it around and completely repented. You certainly hope.
“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.”
Van de Velde met the girl on Facebook, and flew to England to meet her with full knowledge of her age. He only served 12 months in a Dutch prison and has since returned to compete internationally.
Women’s groups have condemned the decision to allow Van de Velde to compete at the Games, and criticised his selection by the Netherlands. The Times reports the 29-year-old is staying at a different location rather than with the other competitors in the athletes’ village.
Other organisations, including the British Olympic Association would not have allowed the beach volleyball player onto their Olympic team because of their own safeguarding rules.
Radcliffe however seemed to take back those comments, replying to a post criticising her on X, she said: “I agree (that what she said was shocking) and can only apologise, that isn’t what I intended to say.
“I stress that it isn’t something that can be excused in any way. I was confused in my head and responding to the right to ban him from the Games and I don’t know why I wished him luck. Again I apologise.”
