Lisa Buckwitz shows her Olympic medal. © Instagram/lisa_buckwitz

Lack of sponsors: Olympic champion on erotic platform

The financial hurdles of elite sport are high, especially in fringe sports such as bobsleighing. In order to be able to pursue her passion, Olympic champion Lisa Buckwitz has therefore decided to take an unusual step: she earns most of her money not on the bobsleigh track, but on the erotic site OnlyFans.

10 December 2024

From: sn

“It is really hard to find sponsors at all,” explained the 30-year-old bobsled pilot from Potsdam in an interview with the SpiegelWhile football stars sign contracts worth millions, athletes from niche sports often struggle to survive financially. Buckwitz, who won gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics, sees OnlyFans primarily as a marketing opportunity: "In principle, the content is similar to that on Instagram. You can see me there in a bikini or sports bra." However, she does not want to go any further than that: "I will definitely not show myself naked."

The athlete had already attracted attention with a Playboy shoot in 2022. Now, however, she emphasizes that the platform primarily serves to cover the enormous costs of bobsleighing. "A pair of runners costs 8000 euros and we need six to eight per season. Then there are the costs for my team. I have to finance all of that myself," says Buckwitz.

objection from the Bundeswehr

However, the decision to use OnlyFans has also sparked criticism. The German army, which pays Buckwitz a fixed salary as a sports soldier, contradicts her portrayal of financial hardship. "The bobsleigh and sled association provides the athletes with the bobsleighs and accessories such as runners for a nominal fee. There can therefore be no talk of financial hardship," the German army said.

But Buckwitz is by no means an isolated case: other German athletes such as high diver Timo Barthel also use the platform. He sees it as an opportunity to secure himself financially for the time after his career. "Many athletes, including Olympic champions, later live on citizen's income. This shows how big the deficit in our support system is," says Barthel.

Whether or not there is any truth to Buckwitz's financial distress is ultimately irrelevant. While football professionals benefit from contracts worth millions, many other disciplines only receive small bonuses and hardly any sponsorship opportunities. The debate about OnlyFans, on the other hand, once again highlights how great the need is to fundamentally reform the funding system for niche sports.