A British canoeist hoping to compete at the Olympic Games has been banned due to his posts on OnlyFans.
In April, Kurts Adams Rozentals was officially suspended from competing in canoeing by Paddle UK following ‘allegations’ about various posts on his social media accounts.
He was immediately removed from the organisation’s World Class Programme, a lottery-funded initiative to help athletes get to the Olympics, while the investigation is underway.
Although there was no explanation as to the nature of the allegations, Rozentals has spoken out to claim that he believes it is because he creates content OnlyFans, a subscription-based website known for hosting x-rated content.
Rozentals claims that he was called by a Paddle UK representative last month to tell him that he was suspended from competing and that he should not contact anyone else involved in the programme.
Kurts Adams Rozentals has been suspended by Paddle UK. (Image: Getty)
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “I have been posting videos (on Instagram) that are consciously made to be edgy in order to drive conversions to my ‘spicy content page’ (on OnlyFans), to fund this ultimate dream of going to the Olympics.”
Rozentals, who recently competed in the World Under-23 Championships, claims that he has made £100,000 since creating his OnlyFans account in January.
He says that this money is required to help him fund his training programme, claiming that the £16,000 annual grant he receives from Paddle UK is not enough.
“I don’t know how much you need but it’s certainly not £16,000,” said Rozentals.
“When you have to cover rent, travel, food… and most athletes who train full-time are all living in London. They’re very fortunate to have parent backing – I wasn’t.”
Responding to ban, Paddle UK have confirmed that it is simply an ‘interim action’ to protect all parties while an independent body conducts an investigation, and should not be seen as a disciplinary action.
“The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,” the governing body said.
“Paddle UK is committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and interim action under the Athlete Disciplinary Policy is only taken where necessary and proportionate.”
The British canoeist has not decided if he will continue using OnlyFans. (Image: Getty)
The organisation’s Athlete Disciplinary Policy states that ‘offensive use of social media’ and ‘indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour’ may lead to de-selection due to gross misconduct.
However, Rozentals said that he remains unsure over giving up on using OnlyFans in order to return to the programme due to the finacial seucrity it has given him and his family.
When asked by the BBC for comment, Funding body UK Sport said that it would not comment on an ongoing investigation but stated: “Our Athlete Performance Award (APA) is designed as a contribution towards an athlete’s living and basic sporting costs.
“In March, we announced an increase in the value of APAs at all levels. They form just one element of the support package on offer for funded athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sport.”
SPORTbible have reached out to UK Sport for comment.
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