British canoeist Kurts Adams Rozentals has been suspended from competition by Paddle UK and removed from its elite athlete programme after allegations emerged surrounding his social media activity, which he believes are tied to his use of the subscription platform OnlyFans.

Rozentals, a promising slalom canoeist who secured a silver medal at the 2023 World Under-23 Championships, was told in April that he could no longer compete or contact staff and athletes within the UK Sport-funded World Class Programme.

Paddle UK has declined to specify the allegations but stated the suspension is a “neutral act designed to protect all parties” pending an independent investigation by Sport Integrity.

The 25-year-old said he turned to OnlyFans in January 2025 as a means of financing his training ambitions. Despite receiving £16,000 annually through the Athlete Performance Award, Rozentals described the funding as insufficient for living and competing, especially without financial support from family.

“Most athletes are very fortunate to have parental backing, I wasn’t,” he told BBC Sport, describing long commutes between the East Midlands and London and his family’s struggles with debt collectors.

Rozentals claims he has earned over £100,000 through the platform, where he has posted 39 videos and more than 100 photos. He uses Instagram to drive traffic to his “spicy content page,” which he says was a deliberate strategy to support his Olympic goal.

“My identity is sport,” he said. “I want to be a professional athlete chasing my Olympic dream.”

Paddle UK has emphasized that Rozentals’ suspension is not a disciplinary measure but a precautionary step while allegations are investigated. Its disciplinary policy includes “offensive use of social media” and “immoral behaviour” as grounds for potential removal from programmes.

Rozentals said he is now faced with a difficult ultimatum: abandon his OnlyFans account or forfeit his Olympic aspirations.

“Unless something changes in the way athletes are paid, I don’t see a way of working with Paddle UK,” he said.

The case has sparked wider discussion about athlete funding models. Olympic diver Jack Laugher, a multi-medal winner, also joined OnlyFans in 2024 to supplement his income. His father said the content is modest and comparable to that of the competition.

“It makes extra money for him… but it’s nothing that you couldn’t show your grandma,” he said.

UK Sport, which oversees national funding for Olympic disciplines, declined to comment on Rozentals’ situation directly but reiterated that Athlete Performance Awards are intended as a partial contribution toward living and training costs. The organization recently announced an increase in those stipends but acknowledged they are only one part of the overall support package.

Rozentals remains under investigation and awaits a final decision that could determine whether he continues his Olympic pursuit or is sidelined for seeking financial independence.