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London Calling

Boy for sale! British sprinter puts himself up for auction on eBay

James Ellington has taken an unusual approach to secure a sponsor ahead of next summer’s Olympic Games.

A BRITISH SPRINTER is praying that he becomes a “sell out” after listing himself for auction on eBay.

Injury has left James Ellington, currently the third fastest 200m runner in Britain, without a sponsor ahead of next summer’s Olympic Games.

And with less than eight months to go until the curtain goes up in London, the 26-year-old has resorted to an unusual strategy to secure the funding he needs to chase his dream of winning gold.

The London Evening Standard reports that a reserve of £30,000 has been set on the auction with Ellington promising to wear the sponsor’s branded kit at every possible opportunity if the price is met.

Half of the money raised will be paid to Ellington as a wage, allowing him to quit his job as an athletics coach to concentrate on training full time, while the other half will cover his expenses.

“It would be a massive weight off my shoulders to focus on training without worrying about paying my bills,” Ellington said.

I will be much more confident if I get funding so next year I can afford physiotherapy and rehab to help improve my performance.

The auction goes live tomorrow.

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