British canoeist Kurts Adams Rozentals says Paddle UK has sidelined him from the World Class Programme due to his work on OnlyFans, forcing him to choose between Olympic ambition and financial survival.
Rozentals, 22, won a place on UK Sport’s lottery‑funded scheme in 2022 and claimed a C1 silver at the World Under‑23 Championships in 2023, but was suspended in April “pending investigation” under Paddle UK’s Athlete Disciplinary Policy.
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While the governing body did not publicly detail the allegations at the time, Rozentals posted on his Instagram that he believes they relate to the explicit videos he has been posting on his subscription-based OnlyFans channel since January.
Rozentals has now publicly addressed the controversy, telling BBC Sport, “I’ve been posting videos that are consciously made to be edgy in order to drive conversions to my ‘spicy content page’ to fund this ultimate dream of going to the Olympics.” He said the £16,000 ($21,552) annual grant he received from Paddle UK “is certainly not” enough to cover rent, travel, and living costs for a full‑time athlete based in London.
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Rozentals estimates he has earned more than £100,000 ($134,704) in under six months on OnlyFans, where he posts uncensored footage and self‑promotional clips on Instagram to steer followers toward the platform. “I did whatever it took to never be in that position,” he told Sky News. “Was it unconventional? Sure. But to ban me from racing… that’s f**king insane.”
According to Sky News, Paddle UK said the interim action was taken “to safeguard other athletes, staff and volunteers due to the nature of the allegation” and is a neutral measure, not a disciplinary sanction. The policy cites “offensive use of social media” and “indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour” as potential grounds for action. The investigation has been passed to Sport Integrity, an independent service.
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Rozentals insists he should not have to choose between making ends meet and pursuing his sporting career. “When you’re thinking about how to pay the rent at the start line, that’s not very conducive to performing well,” he told BBC Sport. “This is the hardest decision that I’ve ever faced in my life.”
He added that without a change to the way athletes are funded, he sees no future collaborating with Paddle UK. “Unless something changes in the way athletes are paid, I don’t see a way of working with Paddle UK,” he said, as he awaits the outcome of the investigation.
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