• London Olympics 2012

British sprint hope turns to eBay for sponsor

James Ellington says he needs a £15,000 wage and a further £15,000 for expenses © Getty Images

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British Olympic hopeful James Ellington has gone to drastic measures to give himself the best chance of competing at London 2012 by putting himself up for auction on eBay.

GB sprinter Ellington - who set the fastest 200m time by a British athlete this year at 20.52 seconds (at a non-altitude venue) - is desperate to find sponsors who will provide the £30,000 he says is needed to cover living and training costs as he prepares for the 2012 Games.

Ellington has struggled with injuries for four years and says that sponsors are reluctant to support athletes who have a history of breaking down and who may, consequently, fail to be fit next summer.

With the clock ticking down to the start of the Olympics, Ellington has turned to eBay in a last-ditch attempt to get the backing required to make his Olympic dream a reality. The 26-year-old, who will hope to compete for a place in the 100m relay squad as well as win a spot as a 200m runner, has revealed the winner will be able to put its brand on his kit at training and press events both before and after the Games.

"We're putting myself on eBay up for auction to gain sponsorship," he said. "Currently I have no commercial sponsorship so we looked at different ways to get myself out there and gathering interest from outside companies.

"I'm injury free now, a year before the Olympics and probably one of the biggest sprint hopes for the country next year. If I want to train full time for the Olympics, I can't get a normal job. I haven't got a lot of money at all.

"All I need now is a commercial sponsor to get onboard and I can commit myself full-time to getting into Team GB and hopefully win a medal for Great Britain at London 2012."

eBay is currently reviewing Ellington's listing before approving it on their site.

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