Paula Radcliffe ‘mortified’ for wishing convicted rapist ‘best of luck’ at 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.

In an interview with LBC, former 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 known as 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.”