Astonishment and embarrassment marked the atmosphere during a press conference for the French beach volleyball team ahead of the Paris Olympics, particularly in light of the controversy surrounding Dutch athlete Steven Van de Velde. Van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a minor in 2016, will be kept away from other athletes during the Games, as announced by the Dutch Olympic committee. This decision aims to maintain calm and ensure a focus on the sporting event rather than the scandal that has overshadowed it.
The French beach volleyball delegation, including athletes Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard, expressed their desire to stay focused on their sporting objectives despite the surrounding controversy. They emphasized their commitment to the sport, with Placette stating, “I don’t want to react to this affair, these are stories that don’t concern us.” Their sentiment was echoed by other team members who preferred to remain in their “sporting bubble” rather than engage in discussions about Van de Velde's past.
The Dutch athlete, now 29, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting to the crime. He has since returned to competitive volleyball, but the decision to keep him isolated during the Olympics has sparked discussions about the implications of past convictions on athletes' participation in major sporting events. Axelle Guiguet, the national technical director of volleyball in France, raised questions about whether an athlete who has served their sentence should be banned for life from the Olympics, highlighting the complexities surrounding redemption and accountability in sports.
While the French team hopes to shine a light on beach volleyball as a sport, they are aware of the negative attention stemming from the scandal. Team members expressed their desire for the focus to shift back to the sport rather than the controversies, with one athlete noting, “If everyone who is interested in this scandal could also be interested in beach volleyball, that would be nice.” The upcoming Olympic Games present a unique opportunity for the sport, and the team aims to seize it despite the challenges posed by external narratives.
