Dutch beach volleyball player convicted of rape has qualified for ...

A Dutch beach volleyball player convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in Britain has qualified for the Paris Olympics.

Steven van de Velde, 29, and partner Matthew Immers were one of two men's teams from the Netherlands that qualified for the beach volleyball competition.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in Britain after being convicted in 2016 of having sex with an underage girl he reportedly got to know online.

In a statement on the Dutch volleyball federation (Nevobo) website, Van de Velde said he will bear the consequences of his crime.

 "I cannot reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life," he said.

The sport's governing bodies say he has met all the requirements to compete at the Paris Games.

In a statement, the Nevobo federation said it supports his Olympic participation.

"We know Steven's history. Before he expressed his desire to return to beach volleyball at the time, we spoke extensively with him but also with [Dutch Olympic Committee], among others," Michel Everaert, general director at Nevobo, said in the statement. "He was convicted at the time according to English law and he has served his sentence. From then on, we have been in constant contact with Steven, who has now been fully reintegrated into the Dutch volleyball community.

"He is proving to be an exemplary professional and human being and there has been no reason to doubt him since his return. We fully support him and his participation in Paris, which he and Matthew have earned."