Olympians Turn To OnlyFans: High-Stakes Move Amid Criticism Of 'Broken' Financial System

Dire financial straits are leading droves of Olympic athletes to sell images of their bodies to subscribers on OnlyFans 바카라� known for sexually explicit content 바카라� to sustain their dreams of gold at the Games. ( Paris olympics Medal Table | Schedule & Results)

As they struggle to make ends meet, a spotlight is being cast on an Olympics funding system that watchdog groups condemn as 바카라�broken,바카라� claiming most athletes 바카라�can barely pay their rent.바카라�

The Olympics, the world's biggest sporting stage, bring in billions of dollars in TV rights, ticket sales and sponsorship, but most athletes must fend for themselves financially.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, was dismissive. When asked about athletes turning to OnlyFans, IOC spokesman Mark Adams responded, 바카라�Have you been looking at my browser history?바카라�

Watching his sponsorships dry up and facing mounting costs, Jack Laugher was among the pantheon of Olympic athletes using the often-controversial platform to get to the Games 바카라� or simply survive.

After medaling at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Laugher, who scored another bronze in Paris last week for the U.K., said he was waiting for funding that never materialized. His account, costing $10 a month for a subscription, says he posts 바카라�SFW (safe for work) content in Speedos, briefs, boxers.바카라� A recent post from the Olympics got more than 1,400 likes.

바카라�For me, it's been an absolute lifeline,바카라� he said, before he was whisked away mid-interview by a British team official, underscoring the sensitivity of the issue.

The AP spoke to multiple current and former Olympians who painted a sobering portrait of what they had to do 바카라� and bare 바카라� to get to Paris.

Laugher, and other current and former Olympians 바카라� rower Robbie Manson (New Zealand), pole vaulter Alysha Newman (Canada), divers Timo Barthel (Germany), Diego Belleza Isaias (Mexico) and Matthew Mitcham (Australia), the first openly gay Olympic gold medalist 바카라� found a measure of financial stability in OnlyFans that other funding failed to provide.

Unable to secure traditional sponsorships, Mitcham began posting photos on OnlyFans, including semi-frontal nudes, earning triple the amount he received as a top athlete.

바카라�That body is an amazing commodity that people want to pay to see. It's a privilege to see a body that has six hours of work every day, six days a week put into it to make it Adonis-like,바카라� said Mitcham, who describes himself as a 바카라�sex worker-lite.바카라�

Manson, meanwhile, credited OnlyFans with boosting his athletic performance, saying his content included 바카라�thirst traps,바카라� but nothing pornographic.

바카라�My content is nude or implied nude. I keep it artistic, I have fun with it and try not to take myself too seriously. That's something I've also tried to maintain in my approach to rowing ... This approach has helped me achieve a personal best result at the Olympics," he told the AP.

While some athletes say they don't see what they're doing as sex work, German diver Bartel put it frankly: 바카라�In sport, you wear nothing but a Speedo, so you're close to being naked.바카라�

Global Athlete, an organization created by athletes to address the power imbalance in sports, decried the dire state of Olympic financing.

바카라�The entire funding model for Olympic sport is broken. The IOC generates now over US$1.7 billion per year and they refuse to pay athletes who attend the Olympics,바카라� said Rob Koehler, Global Athlete's director general.

He criticized the IOC for forcing athletes to sign away their image rights.

바카라�The majority of athletes can barely pay their rent, yet the IOC, national Olympic committees and national federations that oversee the sport have employees making over six figures. They all are making money off the backs of athletes. In a way, it is akin to modern-day slavery,바카라� Koehler said.

The AP spoke to multiple athletes who confirm they have had to pay their own way to the Olympics. While stars like Michael Phelps and Simone Biles can make millions, most athletes struggle to cover the cost of competing on the global stage.

These can include coaching, physical therapy and equipment, at a cost of thousands of dollars a month, as well as basic living expenses. Some delegations fund training, with the athletes covering medical bills and daily expenses. In other delegations, athletes pay for everything themselves.

Olympic athletes are generally given just one or two tickets for friends and family, obliging them to pay for additional tickets so their loved ones can attend their events.

바카라�The IOC tries to convince these athletes that their lives will change after becoming an Olympian 바카라� there is nothing further from the truth. The fact is the majority of athletes are left in debt, face depression, and they are lost once finishing sport with no future employment pathway,바카라� Koehler said.

Pole vaulter Alysha Newman has used the money she earned from OnlyFans to buy property and build up her savings.

바카라�I never loved how amateur athletes can never make a lot of money,바카라� she said. 바카라�This is where my entrepreneurial skills came in.바카라�

The IOC downplayed concerns around athletes turning to OnlyFans. 바카라�I would assume that athletes, like all citizens, are allowed to do what they can," spokesman Mark Adams said.

A later statement from the IOC Executive Board said the IOC distributes 90% of its revenues to 바카라�the development of sport and athletes,바카라� but didn't go into detail.

OnlyFans has expressed solidarity for its athletes.

바카라�OnlyFans is helping them to support training and living costs, and providing the tools for success on and off the field,바카라� the platform said in a statement.