An artist set up his canvas and got to work on an oil painting as the doors to this arena were thrown open. It is the most picture-perfect venue of these games, a man-made beach in the heart of Paris, exquisitely framed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.It glowed as the sun finally broke through on Sunday morning. There was party music, breakfast croissants and a crowd arriving for their first taste of the Olympic volleyball. It had the makings of a joyous occasion, yet here was the dark 6ft6in shadow of Holland’s child rapist.Steven van de Velde was booed as he walked onto court. He won the toss, threw a handful of sand into the air and picked ends with his team-mate Matthew Immers. For the record, they lost, beaten by the Italian pair ranked 25th, which felt like the smallest grain of sporting justice.
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