NOS Sport•vandaag, 11:21
Van de Velde and Immers simply come up brief in first group match
Steven van de Velde and Matthew Immers misplaced their first group match on the Olympic Video games. The Dutch seashore volleyball duo was no match for the Italians Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula: 20-22, 21-19 and 13-15.
The 29-year-old Van de Velde is without doubt one of the most talked about athletes of those Video games. He was convicted eight years in the past for having intercourse with a 12-year-old lady, when he was 19 himself. He served a jail sentence and returned to his sport in 2018.
The viewers in Paris remained calm in direction of Van de Velde. Nevertheless, some boos may very well be heard when he entered the stage.
In spite of everything, about much-discussed companion Van de Velde: ‘Nothing completely different between us than regular’
Immers and Van de Velde are tenth on this planet rankings, Ranghieri and Carambula are in twenty fifth place.
Sterk in blocks
At 1.99 metres tall, Van de Velde had the benefit over the 16 centimetres smaller Carambula, on whom all providers have been performed. With good blocks, blocking the ball instantly on the web, the Dutch took the lead within the first set. This didn’t final lengthy.
Within the full solar below the Eiffel Tower, the factors went backwards and forwards till the Dutch duo reached three set factors at 20-17. Out of nerves, they have been all misplaced and the Italians took the win.
NOS/Anne van EijkThe public additionally watched the seashore volleyball from the Eiffel Tower
Balls have been hit by Van de Velde at a velocity of over 80 kilometers per hour. Within the second set – by which it was once more evenly matched – he additionally managed to frequently overwhelm the Italian protection. In spite of everything, he primarily sought house with tactical sneaky balls.
Ranghieri and Carambula made a present of it. Carambula specifically usually sought contact with the viewers and was cheered up by their shouts and applause. However Oranje saved their focus and got here to set factors once more, the second was successful: 21-19.
Within the third and decisive set it was – with the rating at 11-9 in favor of the Italians – all or nothing. The Dutch duo saved two match factors, however the third was successful.
Hoge providers
“Too dangerous. It wasn’t a great opening match for us,” Immers stated afterwards. “We have been all the time forward on set scores and principally simply gave it away.”
They’d skilled on the excessive serves of Carambula, who’s nicknamed ‘Mister Skyball’. However: “At one level it was actually excessive.”
Seashore volleyball participant Immers after defeat: ‘Too dangerous, we simply gave it away’
The Netherlands has three seashore volleyball groups on the Video games that would win a medal, though the competitors is hard. The one Olympic medal that the Dutch seashore volleyball gamers ever received was on the Video games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen received bronze then.
At 15:00 this afternoon Katja Stam and Raïsa Schoon might be in motion. Van de Velde and Immers will play matches within the group stage on Wednesday 31 July and Friday 2 August.
How onerous can or not it’s: seashore volleyball with Stefan Boermans
