– It’s a bit of a crazy amount of prize money. Absolutely, says Ragne Wiklund. The Norwegian skating star is in the midst of his best season in his career so far. The 22-year-old has won two World Cup races, been on the podium in a further three races and last week took silver in the all-round EC as the first Norwegian woman. The result: 10,800 US dollars, equivalent to 107,784 Norwegian kroner. – So far it’s good that I’m studying on the side. The main reason why I skate is not for the prize money, but it’s really cool that it’s like this, she says to news in connection with a search at Frogner Stadium. SKATING STAR: Ragne Wiklund. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB Wiklund is the only Norwegian woman to have won prize money in the World Cup and EC so far this season. On the men’s side, several have distinguished themselves, but the total amount is just over NOK 90,000. In total, the Norwegian skaters have thus secured prize money to the value of 20,000 US dollars – 199,600 Norwegian kroner at today’s exchange rate. In comparison, for example, it is only a tenth of the prize money for Johannes Høsflot Klæbo this season. The cross-country star has collected NOK 1,985,000 after a brilliant start to the season. Prize money for Norwegian athletes this winter Cross-country: 9,376,000 Alpine: 7,963,000 Biathlon: 6,856,000 Jumping: 3,921,000 Combined: 1,609,000 Skating: 200,000 Rounded to the nearest thousand. Based on the following exchange rates: 1 US dollar = 9.99 Norwegian kroner 1 euro = 10.75 Norwegian kroner 1 Swiss franc = 10.71 Norwegian kroner – It is sad in any case. It feels very unfair, because the results we have achieved this year have been absolutely insane. We are a very strong team that has consistently performed very, very well. Then it is extra crazy that we are in the position we are in, says Wiklund about the comparison with the ski star. – I didn’t know there were such big differences. I find it a bit shocking actually. There was a bigger difference than I had thought, says the national skating team’s athlete representative, Henrik Fagerli Rukke. SURPRISED: Henrik Fagerli Rukke was surprised when he saw how big a difference there is between the sports. Photo: Christoffer Andersen / NTB – Below the poverty line Tour de Ski winner Klæbo is by no means unique. A total of twelve Norwegian cross-country skiers have each taken in over NOK 200,000 and collectively the Norwegian cross-country skiers have earned NOK 9.4 million in prize money in the World Cup this season. news has reviewed the prize money in cross-country skiing, biathlon, alpine, combined, skating and jumping so far this season. Nine Norwegian athletes have already earned more than one million Norwegian kroner. See overview in the fact box below: Norwegian athletes with the most prize money Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (alpine) – NOK 2,714,000 Halvor Egner Granerud (jumping) – NOK 2,244,000 Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (cross-country skiing) – NOK 1,985,000 Johannes Thingnes Bø (biathlon) – NOK 1,966,000 Lucas Braathen (alpine) – NOK 1,830,000 Henrik Kristoffersen (alpine) – NOK 1,704,000 Sturla Holm Lægreid (biathlon) – NOK 1,344,000 Pål Golberg (cross-country) – NOK 1,028,000 Tiril Udnes Weng ( cross-country skiing) – NOK 1,023,000 Rounded to the nearest thousand. The top scores for the various genders in the sports not mentioned: Combined, men: Jarl Magnus Riiber – NOK 510,000 Combined, women: Gyda Westvold Hansen – NOK 283,000 Jumping, women: Anne Odine Strøm – NOK 280,000 Biathlon, women: Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold – 698,000 kroner Alpine skiing, women: Ragnhild Mowinckel – NOK 399,000 Based on the following exchange rates: 1 US dollar = 9.99 Norwegian kroner1 euro = 10.75 Norwegian kroner1 Swiss franc = 10.71 Norwegian kroner Alongside his skating career, Wiklund is studying at Norway’s Environmental and University of Life Sciences (NMBU). – I have to live at home with mum and dad then. Now I’m not studying full-time, so I don’t have a full student loan either. That’s what I had to live on. I get it going around, so it’s fine for now. But I don’t think it will be as much fun in five years. Now I’m a student and can feel like an ordinary poor student, she says. When asked what Wiklund and the environment must do to get more money for ice skating, she replies: – We must continue to deliver good results, show up and be more visible. Try to show what a great sport we have. Secretary General of the Norwegian Skating Association, Håkon Dahl, admits that the situation is not easy. – There is little prize money to be had in the international competitions and we do not have a huge amount of money in the association to compensate for that either. Being an ice skater is not financially lucrative, he says. – She has had podium positions in all the World Cup weekends and recently won an EC silver. Nevertheless, there is just over NOK 100,000 in prize money, and then she receives NOK 120,000 from the Olympiatoppen in stipend. Then she is still below the poverty line in Norway. It is quite brutal, says Dahl. WORLD TOP: Ragne Wiklund has established himself among the world’s best skaters in recent years. Photo: Christoffer Andersen / NTB Wiklund is one of several Norwegian skaters who receive an A-scholarship from the Olympiatoppen of NOK 120,000. It is paid out in full to those who earn less than NOK 500,000 a year. Although Wiklund has been at the top of the world for the past three seasons and is the reigning world champion at 1,500 meters, she has not become rich in skating. news’s review of the last three seasons shows that she has taken in just under half a million in prize money in total from the World Cup and international championships. 30th place in Kitzbühel gives more than a skating victory. For the skaters, there is NOK 15,000 for each World Cup victory. In addition, there are only cash prizes for the first three in each World Cup competition, which is also decisive for the fact that the majority of the Norwegian skaters have zero prize money so far this season. First in the all-round WC/sprint WC and in the overall World Cup there is prize money also for those who finish outside the top three. In comparison, an ordinary World Cup victory in biathlon gives NOK 162,000, while there is NOK 161,000 for the winner in cross-country skiing. Then there is prize money for the 30 best and the 20 best in each race, respectively. In alpine skiing, there is a minimum of NOK 538,000 for the winner. In the three runs in Kitzbühel, there is a total of NOK 1,075,000 for the winner in each of the runs and a 30th place there gives NOK 16,125 – i.e. more than a World Cup victory for the skaters. VALUABLE: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won downhill in Kitzbühel last year. Photo: JOHANN GRODER / AFP With both the WC and a couple of World Cup weekends left, the Norwegian skaters can earn more before the end of the season. Wiklund is currently leading the long-distance cup and can potentially win NOK 160,000 if she holds the lead all the way in. – Those at the very highest level make it go around quite well, but there are no million-dollar salaries for any of them at all. Then most of us sit around and just make it go around every year. Many of us live at home and many of us are struggling to buy flats, move out and generally start over in life. You can’t save any pension and there are many of us who are struggling, says athlete representative Rukke.
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Shocked by news’s survey – the entire national team earns a tenth of Klæbo – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
