Canoeist Kurt Adams Rozentals, disqualified in the UK for posting a sexual video on his Instagram account filmed on an airplane, has expressed a desire to change his sporting citizenship and represent his home country — Latvia.
The Latvian Canoe Federation (LKF) does not oppose this, confirmed the federation's president Lelde Laure to the LETA agency.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the disciplinary committee of the British Canoeing Federation ('Paddle UK') found that Rozentals had "seriously discredited" his sport by posting a video on his public Instagram account in March, where he engaged in a "sexual act" on an airplane.
In addition to being banned from participating in training and competitions, the athlete has also been excluded from the 'World Class' program, funded by the British Sports Lottery, which aims to support athletes preparing for the 2028 and 2032 Olympic Games. "He has submitted a request to the British federation for a transfer, which must be approved by the International Canoe Federation (ICF).
A decision is promised to be made before the New Year. The Latvian federation has agreed to the transfer, and the British side also does not oppose it," Laure explained.
At the 2023 World Championships in canoe slalom for athletes under 23, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe competition. According to Laure, until now he had the opportunity to train in conditions that are very expensive and inaccessible for most Latvian athletes.
Laure also noted that the LKF had not received any official information from the British federation regarding Rozentals' disqualification.
The athlete himself previously told the media that he does not know the reason for his disqualification but suspects it is related to his account on the OnlyFans platform, known for publishing adult content. Responding to a BBC question about whether he regrets posting the video, Rozentals said that looking back, "he probably would not have posted anything like that."
According to the BBC, in March the athlete posted a clip from a video originally intended for OnlyFans. The footage shows Rozentals during a sexual act with a woman. The video quickly spread on social media and caused a wide resonance in sports circles.
