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Dire financial straits are leading droves of Olympic athletes to sell images of their bodies to subscribers on OnlyFans — known for sexually explicit content — to sustain their dreams of gold at the Games. As they struggle to make ends meet, a spotlight is being cast on an Olympics funding system that watchdog groups condemn as “broken,” claiming most athletes “can barely pay their rent.”
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) did not express concern about the situation. When asked by The Associated Press about athletes turning to OnlyFans, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, “I would assume that athletes, like all citizens, are allowed to do what they can.”
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 — or simply survive.
The IOC hasn’t required amateur status since 1988. Some sports still do, as the IOC mostly relies on the governing bodies for each sport to set the rules, but for the Olympics as a whole, that’s a relic of the past.
You’re right. I knew the stance had changed over time thanks to things like the US wanting to beat the USSR. I didn’t realize it had changed so much. Nonetheless, unless the participant is a big star, they may not get paid much at all, or only if they medal.
Yes, but the point is that you don’t make money from participating in the Olympics. You might get some sponsorships or advertising deals, things like that. But you can’t build a monetary career on being an athlete at the Olympics.
Therefore you will only see those pro sports people there who are really ambitious about wanting to get a medal. A successful sports person who isn’t interested in that will most likely not participate at all.