British canoeist Kurts Adams Rozentals has been hit with a two-year ban from his sport after sharing an explicit video of himself performing a “sexual act” on an aeroplane. The Team GB hopeful, who boasts 109,000 followers on Instagram, posted the controversial footage in March of this year.
The disciplinary panel, following an independent investigation and hearing, ruled that Rozentals’ actions not only brought the sport into “serious disrepute,” but also constituted gross misconduct. In addition to his competition and training ban, Rozentals, 23, was stripped of his place on the World Class Programme – a lottery-funded initiative supporting Team GB athletes aiming for the 2028 and 2032 Olympics.
Following the ruling by Paddle UK, the national governing body for canoeing, kayaking and other paddlesports, Rozentals said he felt the suspension was “very extreme” and argued that the video’s posting didn’t warrant a ban. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “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.” Rozentals revealed that his recent funding from Paddle UK amounted to £16,000 per year, yet he claimed to earn over a staggering £100,000 through a subscription-based social media platform between January and May.
The governing body confirmed that the canoeist had “admitted posting an explicit video on their public Instagram profile which was subsequently removed given its explicit nature.” He was informed that his social media post violated their disciplinary policy, which pertains to “indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour” and “offensive use of social media.”
When questioned by BBC Sport about whether he regretted the video after receiving the two-year ban, he said: “Looking back now, I probably wouldn’t post something like that.
“But I remember the state of mind I was in when I did film it and post it. It was the first time in my life I saw real progress in my financial situation. It was the first time I was able to fund the training myself.
“It was the first time I was able to get my mum something nice after her sacrificing everything in order to allow me to chase my dream. And it came from crazy videos like the one that got me banned.
“I saw a direct correlation of me making those type of videos and my life situation improving. So, I was in this state of mind where I knew that all I have to do to continue this, is keep making videos like this. It’s a crazy world we live in. I don’t regret it.”
Paddle UK issued a statement saying it is “committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and action under the athlete disciplinary policy is taken where necessary and proportionate.”
Rozentals has been on OnlyFans since January 10, with his profile description stating: “Well this wasn’t on my 2025 list, but here we f***ing go! ! ! no filters. no limits. just me.”