Written by Amy Tennelly
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hall of Fame rapper Flavor Fluff is rooting for the U.S. women's water polo team, pledging to support the defending champions at the Paris Olympics.
Veteran athlete Maggie Stephens, who led the Americans to an impressive third consecutive Olympic title in Tokyo, said this weekend that she and her teammates still need financial support in preparation for the Olympics.
“Most Olympians (myself included!) need a second (or third) job to pursue their dreams,” Steffens wrote on Instagram. “We always need more help.”
Hours later, Fluff, a founding member of the pioneering hip-hop group Public Enemy, answered the call.
“As a father of a girl and a supporter of all women's sports, I personally sponsor my daughter,” Flav, real name William Jonathan Drayton, replied. “Whatever you need. And sponsor the entire team.”
Stephens, the all-time Olympic scorer, is currently participating in a test event in Paris, but has long sought more support and recognition for her sport.
“Shocked! Thank you,” Stephens wrote on her Instagram Story.
Olympic athletes around the world have long relied on outside financial support to pursue their dreams, with many spending more on training and competing than they earn from their sport.
The World Athletics Federation reignited the issue last month when it announced it would pay Olympic champions a $50,000 salary starting with the Paris Games.
“The U.S. women's water polo team has won three consecutive Olympic gold medals,” Flav wrote in X. “They don't have to work two or three side jobs to compete.”
(Reporter Amy Tennelly in New York)