– It is a terrible story, and we understand that there are reactions around his participation when it is so brutal, says Anders Mol to news. Anders Mol and Christian Sørum are in full swing with the run-up to the Olympics in Paris where they will try to defend the gold from the Games in Tokyo in 2021. As part of the run-up to the Olympics, the Norwegian duo have been training with the Dutch team, where Steven van de Velde (29) plays. In 2016, he was convicted of the rape of a 12-year-old British girl, something the BBC wrote about, among others. The news that he is now Olympic-ready went around the world when it became known yesterday. On Friday, it became clear that Norway will meet the Netherlands in the group stage. CLEAR: Coach Kåre Mol. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – We treat him like other players, even if we despise what he has done. I saw the details in the paper yesterday and it is disgusting. For me, there were some details that were unknown, and which I think made the case even worse than what I thought before I read the new cases, says Kåre Mol. – Discuss internally Whether there will be more training sessions with the Dutch team is therefore something that must now be assessed. – We have to discuss internally whether it is something we have to deal with in the future, says father and trainer Mol. That they will meet at the Olympics became clear a few hours after the beach volleyball team had a press conference in Oslo. – They can use it as a motivation factor when they eventually have to meet him, and avenge what he has done, says Kåre Mol. The BBC writes that the rape happened in 2014, when the Dutchman was 19 years old and met a girl via social media. He then admitted three counts of rape against the British girl, who was then 12 years old. Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison, but was allowed to serve it in his home country, and was released after 12 months. MET BEFORE: The Norwegian team together with Steven van de Velde (number three from the right) concede a tournament in 2022. Photo: AP The judge in the case said according to the British newspaper The Telegraph: – You were a potential Olympian. You had the opportunity for a wonderful future as a representative of the Netherlands. She was a child of 12 years. You were fully aware of that. Understands the attention In previous interviews with the Dutch media, van de Velde has also spoken out about the verdict. – I can’t reverse it, so I have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life. Now he has also spoken out about the new attention via the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC). – I’m obviously not happy about it, but I understand that this is part of it. In 2016 and later, several Dutch media have paid attention to the story. I understand that, ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event, this will also attract the attention of the international media, says the 29-year-old. BACK: Dutch Stevn van de Velde during a tournament in Brazil in May this year. Photo: AFP Both the Dutch volleyball federation and the NOC defend the release of the athlete convicted of rape on their own website, and also say this to the BBC: – After his release, van de Velde has sought and received professional treatment. He has proven to those around him, privately and professionally, self-awareness and reflection, they said, adding that he has met all qualifying criteria for the Olympics. Mol and Sørum were familiar with the verdict and the case, and have heard the same – although they are quite clear that they condemn the incident. – It is an old issue that we have dealt with for a long time, he has played volleyball on the tour for the past 4-5 years, so it is nothing new for us that he is returning to the Olympics. But it is a terrible story, says Mol. AT TRAINING: The Norwegian pigeon says they relate to the player like anyone else they meet, even if it is a terrible incident. Photo: NTB – We only know him as who he is on and off the pitch and the Dutch national team says he has changed and become a better person, says Christian Sørum. – People can change, and it seems that he has changed for the better and it is good to see, adds Anders Mol. Mol and Sørum have been drawn in Olympic group B with Steven van de Velde and Matthew Emmers (Netherlands), Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula (Italy) and Marco and Esteban Grimalt (Chile). The tournament starts on 27 July, while the final is played on 10 August. Published 28.06.2024, at 18.54 Updated 28.06.2024, at 19.45
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