Volleyball star Steven van de Velde -- a convicted child rapist -- broke down in tears during his first interview since his controversial inclusion in this month's Olympics ... and he admitted he nearly quit over the backlash he received.
The 30-year-old Netherlands athlete -- who was jailed in 2016 for raping a 12-year-old girl when he was 19 -- had dodged media throughout his time in Paris ... but on Tuesday, he faced microphones, and got emotional.