Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde's nomination for the Olympic Games has sparked controversy. The now 29-year-old athlete was sentenced to prison in England in 2016 for sexually abusing a minor. A petition on the online platform Change.org calls for the Dutchman to be disqualified from the Paris Games. The petition has been signed more than 20,000 times as of 4 July.

Petitioner Lauren Muir wrote: "I am calling on the International Olympic Committee to ban Steven Van de Velde

@Change) July 2, 2024The Dutch Volleyball Federation and the Dutch Olympic organisers defend van de Velde

"Van de Velde now meets all the qualification requirements for the Olympic Games and is therefore part

of the team," the organisation said.Steven van de Velde staat voor zijn debuut op de Olympische Spelen

I would like to know how the Dutch federation can think that Steven van de Velde fulfils the seventh

Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British

Van de Velde served one year of a four-year sentence and has since resumed his career, competing in international

The Netherlands' decision to include Steven Van de Velde in its Olympic beach volleyball team has caused

player has been competing internationally since 2017, also stresses that "after his release, Van de Velde

Congrats to Steven van de Velde & Matthew Immers for winning the 🥈 at the #BeachProTour Elite16

It was the biggest mistake of my life," he said.In early 2016, Van de Velde was charged with three counts

Most of the 24 Olympic duos qualify through points on the international tour and Van de Velde and Immers

Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss of the United States, making their debut in the 2023 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Championships being held in Mexico, have reached the women's quarter-finals without losing a set.

pairing in the form of Stefan Boermans and Yorick De Groot, who defeated compatriots Immers and Van de Velde

Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner of Czech Republic were among those who advanced to the round of 16 of the 2023 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Championships.

21-14.The Netherlands have another pair in the next round thanks to Matthew Immers and Steve van de Velde

Brazilian world champions Eduarda Santos Lisboa, also known as Duda, and Ana Patrícia have continued to fend off the competition at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour event in Gstaad in Switzerland.

Julian Hörl and Alexander Horst 21-19, 21-19.The Netherlands’ Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

Ireen Wüst of The Netherlands become the first Winter Olympian to win gold at five consecutive Games with victory in the women's 1,500 metres speed skating race here in Beijing.

1,500m races she ever skated, and again she does it when it really counts," Dutch coach Gerard Van Velde

Norway's Olympic champions Anders Mol and Christian Sørum dominated the International Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals final to claim yet another victory in 2021.

triumphs this summer.The bronze medal went to The Netherlands' Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

, who agonisingly lost to Mol and Sørum in the semi-finals.Varenhorst and van de Velde beat Italy's Paolo

Canada's world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes toppled America's Olympic champions April Ross and Alix Klineman to secure their place in the final of the International Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals.

final after a brilliant comeback to defeat The Netherlands' Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

Sørum produced a sensational comeback against The Netherlands' Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

Canada's world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes secured their place in the semi-finals of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals in Sardinia with a sensational victory over the United States' Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes.

second.The Qatari pair will play the other Dutch duo in the quarter-finals - Varenhorst and van de Velde

Russian pair Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina became the first team to secure qualification to the final stages of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals in Sardinia.

added to yesterday's two victories.After beating Dutch pair Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

 Varenhorst and van de Velde currently sit second in the standings after they beat Italy's Paolo

Men’s pool action and women’s knockout matches took place on another busy day of action at the 2021 EuroBeachVolley tournament in Austria.

tie-breaker match at Tokyo 2020.In Pool G, the Dutch pairing of Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

Disappointment. It’s intrinsic to sport. For every winner there has to be a loser. And so for England fans last night’s Euro 2020 final was a beautiful picture that got smudged just before the paint was dry; while for Italian followers the Wembley scene was a work by Michaelangelo.

have won 3-2 and got their hands once again on the trophy they had last lifted in 1964…Jean van de Velde

Poland's Piotr Kantor and Bartosz Losiak claimed their first Beach Volleyball World Tour title for three years with victory at the four-star event in Sochi.

showing at the Cancun Hub, a second consecutive title.SOCHI MEN'S BRONZE RESULT: Varenhorst/Van de Velde

AGkvpWXk1K— Beach Volleyball World (@BeachVBWorld) May 30, 2021Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

from a set down to book their place in the competition's showpiece, edging out Varenhorst and Van De Velde

Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes strengthened their claim to one of the United States places at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as they won the Beach Volleyball World Tour four-star event in Sochi this evening.

medallist Alison Cerutti and Alvaro Filho.They will next meet Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde

The men’s eighthfinal match-ups were set up at the Sochi four-star stop on the Beach Volleyball World Tour after the second legs of the pool stage and the first elimination round took place today.

below, the cut-off line in the provisional Olympic ranking.Christiaan Varenhorst and Steven van de Velde