Ellington's close shave on eBay

A shaving company has come to the rescue of British sprinter James Ellington who put himself up for auction on eBay to secure sponsorship for the London Olympics only to find the winning bidder was a hoax.

Ellington, who competed at last year's world championships, thought he had raised £32,550 through the website after receiving 71 bids from 45 interested parties in an auction that closed last month. "Going on eBay gave me amazing exposure but unfortunately the winning bidder wasn't genuine," the 26-year-old Londoner said yesterday. "Thankfully Will King, the CEO of King of Shaves, stepped in and 'shaved' my life."