‘I’ll do anything to hustle for some more money’
Whilst crowd funding sites have often been used for athletes to achieve their Olympic dreams, Team GB divers have turned to adult platform OnlyFans to help raise money to get to Paris.
Olympic gold-medal winner Jack Laugher has revealed that he is one of a group of British athletes who have signed up to the site.
He told The Telegraph: “Yes, I try and make extra money. Obviously, I’ve got something people want, and I’ll happily cash in on that.
“I’m a bit of a hustler and I want a bit more money if I can.”
Laugher’s home page on the site where users can post images of themselves, shows the British diver seated on a sofa with a Union Jack cushion and a tiny pair of black swimming trunks.
Laugher’s page stresses there will be no nudity, but subscription to his page costs $10 per month. Fans have the option of subscribing for a whole year at a reduced annual price of $102.
The 29-year-old will be competing in two diving events in Paris and is among the world’s best but he earns no prize money from the Olympics.
He won gold and silver in Rio followed by a bronze in Tokyo across the 3m individual springboard and synchronised events.
Laugher explains that he was the first of the diving team to sign up to the site but others has since followed suit.
He said: “I was the first person to do it in our team.
“Dad was saying to me, ‘You put stuff out on Instagram for free – but when the product is free, like Instagram is, you are the product’. So now I’m giving people stuff, which is very similar to what I post online, but it’s for a small subscription fee.”
Meanwhile, flag bearer Tom Daley’s 10m synchronised diving partner, Noah Williams also posts on the site.
Laugher continued: “There’s loads of us – not just me and Noah – [but] myself and Noah are the big two right now on it. All of us are in the same position. It’s actually quite nice to all be on board together. And I’ve had other athletes from other nations message me.
“I love what I do and I love this sport and I’m so grateful for the position. But who doesn’t like a bit more money?
“I understand that people might look at it negatively. I understand the way it’s perceived. I get it. But I know what I’m doing. I’m comfortable with what I’m doing.
“It clearly states on my profile there is no nudity. I’m not trying to put anyone in a bad light and not kind of making myself out to be something I’m not.”
Other sports stars to join the site include tennis player Nick Kyrgios.
Athletics is the only sport awarding prize-money at this year’s Olympics with gold medallists set to receive $50,000.
Laugher is ranked in the top three in the world and receives £28,000 a year from domestic funding which is largely made up of proceeds of the National Lottery.
“I’ll do anything to hustle for some more money. It’s a really, really good way for me to make some extra cash and just try and set myself up for the future a little bit. I’ve never had to do a job, to work at a supermarket or anything.
“I’ve got friends that are at university having to work jobs in bars until 3am in the morning and having to come and then trying to be an Olympian. We all know it’s tight right now and it is difficult.”
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