An Olympic hopeful has been hit with a two-year ban just months after revealing he joined OnlyFans to help fund his sporting dream.
Kurts Adams Rozentals, a canoe slalom athlete once considered one of Team GB’s brightest prospects, has been officially booted from the Olympic programme following an investigation by Paddle UK.
The governing body confirmed the decision yesterday (November 2), saying the 23-year-old had 'intentionally misinformed the press' about the real reason behind his suspension earlier this year.
While Rozentals had claimed his April suspension was linked to his OnlyFans content, a disciplinary panel found he’d actually posted an explicit video on Instagram that was 'subsequently removed given its explicit nature'.
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The governing body issued the following statement: "Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, a canoe slalom athlete has been de-selected from the World Class Programme and issued with a two-year suspension which is back-dated to the time of the offence.
"The decision was issued by a disciplinary panel following an independent investigation led by Sport Integrity and a disciplinary hearing where the athlete presented his case."
Paddle UK fell short of naming Rozentals, but he confirmed the statement was about him.
It went on to note that the disciplinary panel found that the athlete admitted to 'posting an explicit video on their public Instagram profile which was subsequently removed given its explicit nature', and that 'the athlete had intentionally misinformed the press that his suspension was related to his OnlyFans social media account'.
"Paddle UK is committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and action under the Athlete Disciplinary Policy is taken where necessary and proportionate," it concluded.
He argued the punishment was 'very extreme', explaining that he received just $21,000 (£16,000) in annual support - far below what’s needed to train full-time.
"This ban would have never happened if athletes were funded properly," he told BBC Sport.
"And while I understand the video could be described as crazy, it was not illegal and certainly shouldn't be the reason for banning an athlete."
Back in June, Rozentals told Sky News he’d turned to OnlyFans after struggling to make ends meet.
"I started making what they describe as ‘edgy videos’, with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary Paddle UK pays their athletes is near impossible,” he said.
He claimed he was 'on the verge of homelessness' before finding financial stability through the adult content platform, where he reportedly made six figures.
Topics: Olympics, OnlyFans, Social Media
Joe Yates