Former marathon world champion Paula Radcliffe has apologized for wishing a convicted rapist competing at the Olympics the "best of luck." She said she is "very sorry" for the comment.
Steven van de Velde, a member of the Netherlands beach volleyball team for Paris 2024, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to raping a 12-year-old British girl when he was 19. He had traveled from Amsterdam to the UK to commit the crime.
The 29-year-old resumed his volleyball career after serving just 12 months of his sentence and was selected for the Dutch Olympic team in June.
Paula Radcliffe, who had wished Van de Velde "the best of luck" in an interview, has since apologized, saying she is "mortified" for not condemning the rape more clearly.
Radcliffe had previously remarked that if Van de Velde had successfully turned his life around, she wished him well in his sports career. She later expressed regret for her comments in a series of social media posts.
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Email
Google Plus
Reddit
Whatsapp
Telegram