Content warning: This article discusses sexual offences and may be distressing for some readers.
Brett Sutton, an Australian coach convicted of sexual offences against a minor, has been accredited for the 2024 Olympic Games as a coach for the Chinese Olympic team.
Sutton's appearance follows the controversial inclusion of convicted rapist Steven van de Velde, marking the second instance of an individual with a conviction for sexual offences against minors being involved in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
What crime did Brett Sutton commit?
Brett Sutton, now 65, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 13-year-old swimmer in the late 1980s.
The victim reported it to the police years later, as an adult, after she had married.
In 1999, a Brisbane court handed down a two-year prison sentence, suspended for three years. Judge Robert Hall noted that Sutton had "abused his role to an inexcusable degree," while considering Sutton's position as a national triathlon coach preparing athletes for the Sydney Games.
He acknowledged that despite the gravity of the situation, the athletes would "suffer disadvantage from [his] absence from the scene" — a consideration that factored into Sutton's suspended sentence.
Despite the conviction, Sutton has maintained a prominent presence in elite sports coaching.
He told The Observer in 2002 that he no longer coached children under 16. “It’s the age of consent,” he said. “My lawyer told me. That way, no one can say I am a paedophile.”
Sutton has attended multiple Olympic Games, including Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, and London 2012, as an accredited team member for various nations. He was described on Chinese television as China’s national triathlon coach at the Paris Games.
The Sunday Times revealed that on Wednesday (August 31), he was seen at the Olympic triathlon event where his athlete, Switzerland's Julie Derron, secured a silver medal.
Brett Sutton with his athlete Julie Derron, who won silver. Image: Instagram.
The Australian Olympic Committee imposed a lifetime ban on Sutton following his conviction, and USA Triathlon followed suit with a lifetime ban in 2021. However, these restrictions haven't curtailed his involvement in international coaching. Sutton currently runs a professional coaching business in St Moritz, Switzerland.
Sutton's spokesperson declined to provide a statement about his involvement in the 2024 Olympics, but noted that Sutton had served a three-year sanction imposed by the International Triathlon Union and Triathlon Australia.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has deflected responsibility for Sutton's accreditation, stating that it lies with the national Olympic committee that provided it.
Despite his conviction, Brett Sutton has maintained a presence in elite sports coaching. Image: Getty
When questioned, a spokesperson for the Swiss national Olympic committee told The Sunday Times: “Brett Sutton does not work for Swiss Olympic and he does not have any function for our organisation in Paris. Swiss athletes decide for themselves who they work with as personal coaches.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese Olympic Committee, for whom Sutton is reportedly coaching, has remained silent on the matter, ignoring requests for comment on his role with their team.
World Triathlon also dodged questions about Sutton's past. When presented with reports of his conviction, a spokesperson simply stated, "We do not comment on media reports".
The IOC later confirmed that Sutton had departed from the Olympic Village, following the completion of his athletes' events.
The Steven van de Velde case.
Compounding the controversy is the case of Steven van de Velde, a Dutch beach volleyball player competing at the Paris Olympics.
In 2016, Van de Velde was convicted of raping a 12-year-old British schoolgirl.
He served one year of a four-year prison sentence. Despite the severity of his conviction, van de Velde was selected to represent the Netherlands at the Olympics.
The Dutch Volleyball Federation has defended van de Velde's inclusion, stating that he has reintegrated into the community.
Convicted rapist Steven van de Velde. Image: Getty.
Michel Everaert, a general director at the federation, said, "He was convicted at the time according to English law, and he has served his sentence." The decision sparked intense public and media scrutiny, highlighting the complexities of athlete selection in cases involving criminal records.
In response to the Steven van de Velde case, Australian chef de mission Anna Meares made it clear that Australia would never allow someone with a similar past to represent their country at the Olympics.
"It's not in our position to comment on other NOCs (national Olympic committees) and their policies that they have in place," Meares said.
"If an athlete or staff member had that conviction they would not be allowed to be a member of our team. We have stringent policies on safeguarding within our team."
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