Olympic Hopeful Kurts Adams Rozentals Faces Two-Year Ban Over Explicit Video

Scandal Rocks Team GB Hopeful

Kurts Adams Rozentals, a rising star in the world of canoe slalom, has found himself at the center of a storm after being handed a two-year suspension. This comes after he shared a video on Instagram depicting a 'sexual act' on a plane. Initially suspended by Paddle UK in April, Rozentals has now been removed from the World Class Programme entirely.

The 23-year-old athlete, whose Instagram bio cheekily describes him as a 'forbidden athlete', claims he was forced into a difficult decision between funding his Olympic dreams through traditional means or turning to platforms like OnlyFans. In a candid chat with BBC Sport, Rozentals expressed his frustration:

“This ban would have never happened if athletes were funded properly. And while I understand the video could be described as crazy, it was not illegal and certainly shouldn't be the reason for banning an athlete.”

Financial Struggles and Social Media Success

Rozentals has been vocal about his financial struggles, stating his last funding from Paddle UK was merely £16,000 annually. In contrast, his ventures into the world of social media content creation reportedly earned him over £100,000 in just five months. It seems the allure of financial independence was too strong to resist, despite the risks involved.

The governing body, however, cited his actions as a breach of their disciplinary policy, specifically relating to 'indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour' and 'offensive use of social media'. Rozentals had previously suggested his suspension might be linked to his OnlyFans account, but the panel concluded he had misled the press with these claims.

Reflecting on Choices and Consequences

Looking back, Rozentals admits he 'probably wouldn’t' post such a video again, acknowledging the personal state he was in when he made the decision to share it. Despite this, he remains unrepentant, noting the positive changes in his life since embracing social media.

Reflecting on his journey, he shared: “It was the first time I saw real progress in my financial situation. It was the first time I was able to fund the training myself.” He added that he was able to finally give back to his mother, who had sacrificed so much for his dreams.

Paddle UK, standing firm on their decision, emphasized their commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all athletes, stating that action under their disciplinary policy is both necessary and proportionate.