A British canoeist who was aiming to compete in the 2028 Olympics has been banned after posting an 'explicit' video online.
Kurts Adams Rozentals has criticised governing body Paddle UK after it banned him from training and competing for bringing the sport into 'serious disrepute'.
A disciplinary panel found Rozentals guilty of gross misconduct after he uploaded a 'sexual act on an aeroplane', with the 23-year-old now deselected from the World Class Programme, which funds athletes in the build-up to the Los Angeles Olympics in three years' time.
It has resulted in a two-year ban for the individual canoe slalom competitor, though Rozentals has claimed that the video isn't 'explicit', instead describing it as 'edgy', following a 'very extreme' decision from the governing body.
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Speaking in an interview with Sky News, he said: "I think the outcome is very extreme.
"I’m only human. I make mistakes, but banning me for two years… I think it’s pretty wild."
Rozentals also spoke about how the video wasn't removed from Instagram, before adding that he's aware that it's 'not what they want their athletes to be ideally making... it's obviously edgy content'.
"I understand that image that they [Paddle UK] want athletes to portray. And it does not align with [the] image that Paddle UK is trying to cultivate of professionalism and whatnot," he noted.
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The Brit said that he knew it's 'not going to drive sponsorships', as he revealed that he started making OnlyFans content as he didn't feel like he was making enough from his sporting career.
Paddle UK gave him a £16,000-a-year grant, but he earned upwards of £100,000 from his social media videos alone from January to May.
Rozentals - who previously said he was 'forced to choose between OnlyFans and the Olympics' - opened up about growing up with 'no money', highlighting that treating his mother means more than winning an Olympic medal.
"I don’t care about money for money’s sake. However, now I’m blessed to be in a position where I can treat my mum, who sacrificed everything in her life to be able to give me the opportunities to chase this Olympic dream," he explained, saying he would 'one way or another, make it to the Olympics'.
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In an official statement from Paddle UK, it said that the canoer 'admitted posting an explicit video on their public Instagram profile which was subsequently removed given its explicit nature'.
It added that 'the athlete had intentionally misinformed the press that his suspension was related to his OnlyFans social media account'.
The governing body detailed that the video was removed as Rozentals breached its policy relating to 'indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour', claiming that his 'deliberate actions or omissions' brought Paddle UK's name into 'disrepute'.
The statement concluded: "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."
Topics: Olympics, Social Media, OnlyFans
Joshua Nair