Para cross-country skiing: handsome financial rewards for world sprint medallists
For the first time in history, a para cross-country skiing event will be held next winter at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim (Norway). As announced several months ago, a classic sprint is scheduled for 4 and 5 March 2025 on the slopes of the Granåsen complex.
Last September, however, controversy erupted when NRK revealed that the organisation had made no provision for prize money for these events. The jumper Halvor Egner Granerud had himself donated a sponsorship spot on his wetsuit to finance bonuses for para-cross-country skiers.
In the end, this was not to be, as Trondheim 2025 announced earlier this week that it had secured a total prize money of one million Norwegian kroner (83,670.50 euros at the current exchange rate). “The fact that we are able to give them interesting and decent bonuses is something we are very happy about,” said Aage Skinstad, the event’s patron, in a press release.
Over 5,000 euros for the world champions
More specifically, in each of the programme’s three categories (sitting, standing and visually impaired), 60,000 Norwegian kroner (€5,025.99 at the current exchange rate) will go to the gold medallists, 40,000 (€3,350.10) to the silver medallists and 25,000 (€2,093.81) to the bronze medallists. Guides will also receive the same bonus.
While this prize money is still a long way from that which will be awarded to able-bodied athletes (190,000 Norwegian kroner, or 15,912.99 euros at the current exchange rate, for the sprint skate world champions), it is unprecedented for a world para-cross-country skiing competition. “The gold medallists at the Lillehammer 2022 world championships received 8,000 Norwegian kroner [670.02 euros]. In that sense, it’s a step in the right direction”, notes Aage Skinstad.
Speaking to NRK, Norway’s Vilde Nilsen, star of the standing category, was delighted with the news: “60,000 kroner for first place is much more than we’ve ever received, she says. It’s great and symbolic. It’s a turning point.”
The para cross-country skiing programme at the Trondheim 2025 World Championships
Tuesday 4 March
- 10.00: CT standing, sitting and visually impaired men and women sprint qualifiers
Wednesday 5 March
- 8.45am: Men’s and women’s standing, sitting and visually impaired CT sprint semi-finals
- 12.20pm: Men’s and women’s standing, sitting and visually impaired TC sprint finals
- Organisers of the Trondheim 2025 World Championships add a classic para-cross-country sprint to their programme
- Halvor Egner Granerud ready to donate part of its sponsorship income to para-athletes at the Trondheim Worlds
- French Alps 2030: para biathlon and para cross-country skiing officially on the programme
