Ex-Olympian Paula Radcliffe 'mortified' after wishing convicted rapist good luck at the Olympics

Radcliffe: "I genuinely don’t recognise myself and am devastated at how I expressed myself so badly." Credit: PA images

Paula Radcliffe has described herself as "mortified" for wishing luck to a convicted rapist who is competing at the Olympics.

Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde served time in prison for the rape of a 12-year-old girl in 2014 and has controversially been selected for the Games.

The 29-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016. He admitted to three counts of rape against a child, which took place in August 2014.

He met the victim on Facebook, then travelled from Amsterdam to the UK and raped the child at her home in Milton Keynes when her mother was out.

He served his sentence in the Netherlands but was released after 12 months.

Steven van de Velde served 12 months in prison over the rape Credit: Getty Images

In an interview with LBC, former Bedfordshire marathon runner-turned-pundit Radcliffe said that it was a "tough thing to punish him twice" and that she "wished him the best of luck", drawing parallels with drugs cheats who are given second chances in sport.

However, writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, Radcliffe said: "I am mortified that I expressed it so badly and didn't condemn the rape out loud.

"I do believe in second chances after serving punishment but think the Olympics should be for those who uphold the ideals (that's why I poorly brought the doping comparison in)."

In other posts, Radcliffe, who is still the British marathon record holder, said: "I myself am shocked and disappointed at how I expressed this so badly" and "I really apologise for the way I phrased this. The utter condemnation of the crime in my head went without saying but I should have clarified that.

"Instead I poorly jumped to explaining why It would be great to exclude all who betray ideals but legally not possible."

"I genuinely don’t recognise myself and am devastated at how I expressed myself so badly and didn’t express what I thought I did in my head.

"Whatever happened it’s inexcusable."

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