Sprinter who offered himself on eBay finds a sponsor

James Ellington, who is the third fastest 200m runner in the country, offered himself for auction in an attempt to raise £30,000 after he failed to win corporate sponsorship because
of injury.

But despite attracting nearly 100 bids since the Standard told of his plight last month, the 26-year-old's Olympic medal dream nearly fell through after it emerged that the top one of £32,500 was a hoax.

Today he told of his joy after a shaving company came forward to sponsor him with the full £30,000, which will cover his wages and expenses. The chief executive of King of Shaves, Will King, approached him on Twitter before Christmas offering his assistance if the eBay auction fell through.

Ellington, a father-of-one who grew up in Lewisham and lives in Croydon, said the sponsorship would mean he could now concentrate on his training, get the best physio and give up his job as a part-time athletics coach.

He said: "The top eBay bidder wasn't genuine, they withdrew, but I was lucky because it gave me a lot of exposure and I got a lot of interest from private companies because of it. This means I can focus on my training and won't need to worry about money."

Ellington ran the 200m in 20.52 seconds, the fastest time of any British athlete last year at a non-altitude venue, came second in the national trials in July and fourth in the quarter finals of the World Championships. But to be guaranteed an individual place at the Olympics for Team GB he will have to get one of the top two qualifying times at the national championships in July.

He said he was confident in his ability to qualify now that he has sponsorship, adding: "A lot of people were surprised that I'm so near the top but struggling like this, especially when we're hosting the Olympics in London.

Athletics is not a headline sport in the UK like football, we need the support." Mr King, founder of King of Shaves said: "We're delighted to give him a fighting chance in the Olympics."