Rozentals told ITV News that getting to the Olympics can be financially “impossible” for those from underprivileged backgrounds
A British canoeist chasing his Olympic dreams has been suspended by the sport’s governing body in the UK after setting up an OnlyFans account.
Kurts Adams Rozentals, 22, earned a place on the canoe World Class Programme in 2022, a UK Sport funded initiative developing talented athletes with Olympic ambitions.
But after he started his OnlyFans account in January, to cover the costs of his career, Paddle UK called him in April to say he had been suspended from the programme and was under investigation.
“It was a big shock,” he said.
“My identity at this point is sport, every day I get up and my goal is to get better as an athlete. OnlyFans was just a way to support that.”
He is currently unable to train at Paddle UK facilities, or have contact with any staff, students or coaches on the programme.
The body has not clarified the nature of the allegations, but Rozentals said those around him began passing comment when he started posted suggestive content on his Instagram in January.
His Instagram links to an account on OnlyFans, a subscription-based platform known to host explicit content.
As a World Class Programme athlete, Rozentals receives a grant of £16,000 a year – a sum he told ITV News barely covers the costs incurred of being a professional athlete.
In 2023, he won his first individual medal with C1 silver World Under-23 Championships.
He was raised by a single mother and moved to the UK from Latvia aged just eight years old. Ten years of canoeing later, he said the financial pressures of pursuing a career as an athlete left him with few other options.
“I have tried other ways. I’ve done everything from freelance video editing, to Amazon warehouses. But all of those things take a toll on your training,” he said.
Calling for more awareness about the pressures faced by athletes who are not from privileged backgrounds, he said his career has seen him surrounded by wealthier peers.
“I don’t want this to be about me, and about OnlyFans. Athletes aren’t getting the funding they deserve,” he said.
“Unless they are backed by parents, or unless you come from a more privileged background with more money, chasing the dream of going to the Olympics is impossible.”
Paddle UK confirmed a canoe slalom athlete was under “interim action”, pending the outcome of an investigation.
A statement said: “The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity.
“The interim action is a neutral act designed to protect all parties and is not a disciplinary action. It was taken to ensure the integrity of the investigation and to safeguard other athletes, staff, and volunteers due to the nature of the allegation.
“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 body didn’t confirm the nature of the allegations, and said it was unable to comment further until the investigation concludes.
Rozentals said: “I don’t want to say it’s like losing a loved one, but that is my identity.
“It’s sad to say, but I don’t have any purpose apart from that.”
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