A British canoeist could see his hopes of competing at the Olympics crushed after he said he was banned from competing due to posting content on OnlyFans.
In an interview with Sky News presenter Matt Barbet on the UK Tonight, Kurts Adams Rozentals said he started posting revealing content of himself on OnlyFans – a subscription-based service that is known for hosting adult content – to raise money for his canoeing career.
He competes in canoe slalom and is part of Paddle UK’s world-class programme for Olympic hopefuls, but was suspended by the governing body in April.
In a statement, Paddle UK said Mr Rozentals was under interim action pending the outcome of an investigation, highlighting that this was “a neutral act (…) designed to protect all parties and is not a disciplinary action”.
Paddle UK did not disclose the nature of the allegation, but its disciplinary policy lists offensive use of social media and indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour as examples of gross misconduct.
Mr Rozentals said he received £16,000 in funding from Paddle UK for his training, but this “is not anywhere near enough to be able to pursue elite sport”.
After trying freelance jobs and working at a warehouse to make up the shortfall, the canoeist started uploading content on OnlyFans in January as a means of earning money “that wouldn’t affect the training, because the ambition is to get to the Olympics and you need to fund that in some way”.
Mr Rozentals, who has been in the sport for more than 10 years and has already won medals on a world stage, said he was “raised with a whatever-it-takes mentality, and I think that’s how we’ve got to where we are now”.
He said: “At the end of the day, I started this to help with the sport, and it certainly is helping when I’m on the start line, and I’m not having to worry about rent and food on the table. It’s a good feeling.”
But the athlete and content creator said his mother was “crying for a week” after finding out he started an OnlyFans account.
“She worked so hard, sacrificed her life to get us into sport and to prove that people from underprivileged backgrounds can reach something and achieve something good in life,” Mr Rozentals said.
“And then when I did that… She did eventually come around and understand why I did what I did.”
Mr Rozentals said he made more than six figures on OnlyFans, but warned that “there is a price to pay” when sharing adult content, as it would stay on the internet forever.
“I don’t want to just be an influencer. My dream was always to do something bigger,” he added, saying his focus was still on his canoeing ambitions rather than on being a social media star.
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Paddle UK said the interim action against the athlete “was taken to ensure the integrity of the investigation and to safeguard other athletes, staff, and volunteers due to the nature of the allegations.”
Their statement added: “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.”
