How much do athletes earn in winter sports. How much do our stars earn at the world cups
Alexey Avdokhin - about how much the heroes of winter sports earn
To avoid omissions: we did not take into account personal contracts, salaries of the Ministry of Sports / CSP / regions / departments (in the case of Russia) and other income that cannot be calculated. In our text - only the fees prescribed in official documents by international federations.
World Cup and World Championship Race
1st place - 13,000
2nd place - 10,000
3rd place — 7000…
10th place - 1000
Bonus for entering the race in a red or yellow bib— €750 (at the World Cup — €1000)
1st place - 28,000
2nd place - 23,000
3rd place — 18,000…
10th place — €6000
IBU Cup racing
1st place - 3000
2nd place - 2000
3rd place — 1500…
Biathlon is the only winter sport where prize money is pegged to the euro. At stake in each individual race is exactly 50 thousand (in total, the IBU spends more than € 3.5 million on paying prize money to biathletes during the season), which are divided by those who entered the top 10. You can earn a little more in the relay race - the winners get 20 thousand for all (in the super mix - 10 thousand), 6th place guarantees 4 thousand.
Martin Fourcade is gradually approaching last year's result of 240,000, but Gabriele Soukalova is unlikely to reach Daria Domracheva, who earned only 10,000 less than the Frenchman a year ago. Interestingly, 18 of the 140 thousand earned by Fourcade went to him only for going to the races in a red or yellow (and more often in a red-yellow) T-shirt.
Ski race
All royalties from FIS (International Federation skiing) in Swiss francs (1 franc = 0.924 euros, or 64.5 rubles at the FIS rate)
World Cup race
1st place - 15,000
2nd place - 10,000
3rd place — 5000…
10th place - 250
Bonus at the end of the season for a place in the overall standings
1st place - 34 200
2nd place - 22 500
3rd place — 13,500…
6th place - 4500
Race in the Tour de Ski/Tour of Canada
1st place - 3000
2nd place - 2000
3rd place - 1000
Bonus based on the results of the Tour de Ski / Tour of Canada for a place in the general classification
1st place - 100,000
2nd place — 57,500/60,000
3rd place — 35,000/30,000…
10th place - 2000/1500
Bonus based on the results of the Tour de Ski / Tour of Canada for a place in the sprint classification
1st place - 6000/8000
2nd place - 3000/4000
3rd place - 2000/3000
Bonus for entering the Tour race in a red or yellow bib - 1000
Top skiing stars earn more than biathlon - the money that Fourcade and Soukalova plan to earn by the end of the season fell into the account of Sundby and Johaug by mid-January. The Norwegians earned more than half of their capital in ten days of the Tour de Ski - now it is clear why skiers sometimes prefer it to the World Championships, and new multi-day races like the Tour of Canada appear on the ski calendar.
But it’s hard to make good money without success in the Tours, especially if you rarely enter prizes. Evgeny Belov saved up three and a half thousand francs in the season (excluding modest relay bonuses), Alexander Legkov - a little more than one and a half, and Max Vylegzhanin, in addition to 750 francs for fourth place in the December relay, is generally at zero.
Freestyle
Start of the World Cup
1st place — 11 250
2nd place - 5875
3rd place - 3125...
10th place - 375
Snowboard
Start of the World Cup
1st place — 11 250
2nd place - 5875
3rd place - 3125...
10th place - 375
In freestyle and snowboarding, the amounts are similar (in snowboarding they are diplomatically called the minimum, but, as a rule, they are also the maximum) - if you try, you can earn under a hundred thousand Swiss francs in a season. The Russians are better at snowboarding - in addition to boardcrosser Olyunin, slalomists Andrey Sobolev (15,562) and Vic Wild (5,187) made some capital.
ski jumping
World Cup start (men/women)
1st place - 10 000/3000
2nd place - 8000/2400
3rd place — 6000/1800…
30th/20th place - 100/330
biathlon
Start of the World Cup
1st place - 8000
2nd place - 6000
3rd place — 4000…
20th place - 350
Jumping disciplines in skiing are paid more modestly than others, but they are taken with regularity and frequency: 37 starts per season for jumpers, 25 for Nordic athletes. In addition, team starts are adequately paid in jumping - 30 thousand for the four winners, 22 thousand for the second place, 18 thousand for the third.
Finally, the first money in three years in the World Cup was earned by yesterday's biathlete Evgeny Klimov - thanks to three hits in the top 30. But in the biathlon, everything is the same in Russia - no money, no glory.
Skiing
Start of the World Cup
1st place - 41 500
2nd place - 18,000
3rd place — 9000…
30th place - 450
The most commercial of the winter disciplines - the top ten are almost guaranteed to earn more than a hundred thousand in a season. Last year's leaders - the Austrians Anna Fenninger and Marcel Hirscher won almost a million francs for two (431 thousand and 482 thousand respectively), Alexander Khoroshilov finished the breakthrough season with 90 thousand. This season promises an increase - both for him and the leaders.
Figure skating
All fees from ISU (International Skating Union) in dollars
Place at the Grand Prix stage
1st place - 18,000
2nd place - 13,000
3rd place — 9000…
5th place - 2000
Place in the Grand Prix Final
1st place - 25,000
2nd place — 18,000
3rd place — 12,000…
6th place - 3000
European Championship and Four Continents Tournament
Single skating/pair skating and dancing (total for two)
1st place — 20,000/30,000
2nd place — 13,000/19,500
3rd place — 8,000/12,000…
8th/6th place — 3000/6000
World Championship
Single skating/pair skating and dancing (for two)
1st place — 45,000/67,500
2nd place — 27,000/40,500
3rd place — 18,000/27,000
12th/10th place - 2000/4500
Skaters are unfairly limited to two stages of the Grand Prix, so a single skater will not be able to earn more than 61 thousand per series (but for this you need to win both stages and the final - this year only the Canadian dance duo managed to do this). Worthy bonuses for the European and world championships come to the rescue - not the level of skiers, of course, but definitely more than other skaters (hockey players, of course, do not count).
Skating
Start of the World Cup (if there are two identical races at the same stage, the amount is divided in half)
1st place - 1500
2nd place - 1000
3rd place - 800
Bonus at the end of the season for a place in the overall standings in each individual distance
1st place - 15,000
2nd place - 10,000
3rd place — 7000…
10th place - 1500
World Championship (classic all-around / sprint all-around / single distance)
1st place — 20,000/12,750/3500
2nd place - 12 000/7500/2000
3rd place - 8000/5000/1500…
12th place - 1000/500/250
Europe championship
1st place - 5000
2nd place - 3000
3rd place - 2000 ...
12th place - 250
At the Speed Skating World Cup, only winners get bonuses (and at those distances that run twice per stage, they are also cut in half - usually these are 500 meters, so Pavel Kulizhnikov suffers more than others), but there are three decently paid world championships at once. In addition to Kulizhnikov, Denis Yuskov collected good bonuses (under 10 thousand) - only Pavel and the Dutchmen Sven Kramer and Kjeld News had more.
Short track
Bonus at the end of the season for a place in the overall standings for each individual distance
1st place - 5000
2nd place - 4000
3rd place — 3000…
10th place - 1000
World Championship (place in a separate race)
1st place - 2000
2nd place - 1500
3rd place - 850
World Championship (place in the final classification)
1st place - 6000
2nd place - 4000
3rd place — 3000…
12th place - 250
European Championship (place in the general classification)
1st place - 2500
2nd place - 1500
3rd place — 1000…
12th place - 250
There is no prize money for places at individual stages of the World Cup in short track. You can earn something only at the end of the season or at the World Cup - the tops will come out somewhere between 10 and 15 thousand dollars.
There are no official data on prize payouts in the Luge, Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup in the public domain.
By the beginning of December, all winter sports opened their season. Bobsledders and skeletonists were the last to join the competitive rhythm - the first stage of the World Cup was held at the weekend in Sigulda, Latvia. Other species started earlier, and, for example, in figure skating already managed to play the awards of the prestigious Grand Prix series.
Russian athletes started the 2018/19 season very successfully. Alexander Bolshunov leads the overall World Cup in cross-country skiing, Evgeny Klimov became the first Russian to win the World Cup in ski jumping, the crew of Nadezhda Sergeyeva and Yulia Belomestnykh reached silver at the World Cup in bobsleigh - and this is the first podium for bobsledders from Russia for 15 years. many victories in speed skating, medals in short track, skeleton, biathlon and figure skating. Forbes found out how much they pay for them.
White gold
Winter sports live within their means: the amount of prize money for athletes directly depends on how commercially successful this or that federation is. The more spectators in the stands and the higher the TV ratings of the sport, the more solid the sponsors and, as a result, the more zeros in the prize amounts.
Popular on TV competitions - ski jumping, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and biathlon - generously pay for the success of athletes. Thus, for a victory at the Alpine Skiing World Cup stage, you can earn from ₣38,000 to ₣79,000, the Tour de Ski champion receives ₣55,000, and in biathlon the leadership in the overall World Cup standings at the end of the season costs €28,000. In figure skating, which is much loved in Russia and Japan, there are also decent prize money, but there are very few well-paid starts.
Outside of the televised species, the bonus system operates with much more modest numbers. In bobsleigh and skeleton, prizes are paid only at the end of the season, in speed skating a stage victory costs $1,500, and in sledges - €1,000.
The telegenicity and stable interest of sponsors ensure the financial well-being of biathlon: a tight competitive calendar and solid fees. The prize fund of the 2018/19 World Cup has grown by a third compared to last season. international union biathletes (IBU) introduced bonuses for final victories in individual disciplines (only 1st place is awarded: €10,000 - personal races, €20,000 - relay races), and also increased payments for success at the World Championships (€25,000 - for a victory in the individual race, €28,000 in the relay). The IBU also has a reward system at the end of the season. Winner overall standings will receive €28,000, the 10th place winner will receive €6,000. Plus, in biathlon, even those who do not qualify for the status World Cup have the opportunity to earn money. For example, at the stages of a more modest IBU Cup, the top six are celebrated - from €3,000 to €800.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) prefers settlements in Swiss francs and sets a minimum prize pool for each start of the World Cup in the amount of ₣120,000. However, at especially prestigious stages, the prize money is higher: for example, in the 2017/18 season, ₣200,000 were played in the men's downhill in Kitzbühel, and ₣194,054 in the women's slalom in Flachau, Austria. there are more women "expensive" races on the calendar, so the leadership of the American Shiffrin in the income ranking (12 wins in the 17/18 season) should not be surprising. The men's leader - Austrian Marcel Hirscher - earned ₣669,681.
IN cross-country skiing they are actively developing the theme of multi-day competitions, where the main cash bonuses are distributed according to the results of several starts, and they pay modestly for winning at a separate distance. Thus, the prize fund of the Tour de Ski - 7 races in 9 days - is ₣560,000, while the victory at the stage costs ₣3,000, in the overall standings - ₣55,000. One of the starting stages of the season (in 2018 it was the Lillehammer Triple) and the World Cup final were arranged according to the same scheme. According to the results of each race, only winners are rewarded (₣5,000 - ₣3,000 - ₣2,000), and according to the results of the multi-day race, bonuses are received by the top 20: from ₣22,500 to ₣250. According to the results of the World Cup, payments are provided for the top 6: ₣ 31350 - to the winner, ₣4125 - to the 6th place.
Only the strongest athletes participate in the Grand Prix series, and the skater (duet) can only compete in two stages, and the top six in each discipline go to the final. In addition, European and world championships are held annually. Winning the Euro costs $20,000 ($30,000 for couples) best result at the World Championships - $45,000 ($67,500 for couples). From August to December, tournaments of a more modest Challengers series (10 stages) are held, where at the end of the season the top three participants in each event are rewarded: $4,000 - $3,000 - $2,000 for singles and $5,000 - $4,000 - $3,000 for couples.
Women won the right to play in top tournaments only towards the end of the 2000s, so there is no question of any financial equality here yet: men compete and earn more. At the same time, ski jumping is the most popular TV sport of the winter, gathering an audience of under 3 billion per season. This explains the interest of sponsors and the growing prize money. Previously, the 4-Hills-Tournament was considered the most prestigious and cash competition (plus ₣25,000 for the final victory), and since 2017, four Norwegian World Cups have been combined into the Raw Air tournament with a prize pool of ₣100,000 for the top 3 in overall standings.
Speed skating is ruled by specialization: sprinters are rarely successful on long distances and vice versa, so athletes tend to start only in "their" disciplines. Understanding this, the International Federation (ISU) organizes several world championships every year - in the classic all-around, sprint and individual distances. So skaters of any specialty have a chance to get a valuable title and serious prize money. For example, the winner of the overall World Championship at individual distances receives $72,000.
Short track
$15,000 worth of victory in the overall World Cup in each individual discipline (500, 1000 and 1500 m). The tournament consists of five stages, but athletes receive cash prizes only at the end of the season: $12,000 for 2nd place, $9,000 for 3rd, and $2,500 for 10th. Team achievements are also rewarded. The victory in the relay standings is estimated at $12,000, in the mixed discipline - at $8,000. You can earn extra money in short track at the annual world championships ($6,000 for gold) and Europe ($2,500).
Snowboard
₣25000 is the minimum prize fund for the start of the World Cup. In individual disciplines (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air), the top 10 participants receive money: the first place gets 45%, the 10th - 1.5%. In parallel events (slalom and giant slalom) and snowboard cross, the total prize money must be at least ₣30,000 and is distributed among the top 16. In team competitions, the ₣15,000 bonus is shared by the top three.
Freestyle
₣375 can be earned for finishing 10th at the World Cup in one of the six disciplines of freestyle skiing: mogul, ski cross, acrobatics, big air, halfpipe and slopestyle. They pay ₣11250 for the victory. The organizers of the competition are allowed to set a special prize fund, combining several starts into the overall standings, but the additional bonus must be at least 25% of the established minimum - ₣25000.
Biathlon (ski jumping and cross-country skiing)
₣160,510 earned for the 2017/18 season by the Japanese combined athlete Akito Watabe. He received ₣37,500 for winning the overall World Cup standings, and ₣6,250 for the prize for the best jumper. In addition, he was the winner of the two main tournaments of the season: the Nordic Combined Triple in Seefeld made him richer by ₣24,000 and the Finnish Ruka Tour by ₣22,000. In addition, ₣33,150 is up for grabs at each start of the World Cup: 1st place costs ₣8,000, 2nd - ₣6,000, 3rd - ₣4,000, 20th - ₣350. Watabe never dropped below 16th.
Bobsleigh and skeleton
€20,000 goes to the crew that wins the overall Bobsleigh World Cup standings (twos or fours), and €1,000 for 10th place. In Skeleton, the best result at the end of the season is worth €5,000. Prizes are not paid for victories at individual stages, as well as for successes at the World and European Championships in bobsleigh and skeleton.
luge
€220,000 is the total prize fund of the Luge World Cup. Competitions are held in seven disciplines: four men's (single sled, double sled and sprint), two women's (single sled and sprint) plus mixed relay. Winning a World Cup stage costs €1,000, 2nd place - €900, 3rd - €800, 6th - €100.
Reply to the site 
The planned major changes in the program of cross-country skiing competitions caused an adequately strong reaction among all interested parties. Let's try to look at the problem of overdue changes from the point of view of their initiators. Far from all the arguments on their part were voiced and explained.
The main motive for innovations was the fall of spectator interest in cross-country skiing. And this trend directly entails a decrease in the attention of other interested parties - investors.
The main sources of income for the International Ski Federation FIS are the sale of television rights and sponsorship investments. Formerly "LS" magazine. The trends have not changed. Let's now look into the treasury of the federation.
I propose not to go deep into other people's pockets, no matter how much you would like to, but only to compare some FIS financial statements, which will be a good help in assessing popularity ski types. After all, monetization modern sports becomes no less adequate indicator of its attractiveness than conventional TV ratings. Those on whom the financial solvency depends - advertisers, sponsors, partners - react as sensitively as the fans to the spectacularity of the proposed sports event. Money "goes" to where the audience's interest is noticeable.
The prize fund is a significant part of the budgetary expenditures, and it faithfully reflects the financial priorities of one of the world's largest sports federations. Cross-country skiing is not among the favorites for this indicator.
*only men's tournament
Comparison of prize payments in general confirms the ratio of different ski sports in TV ratings. The more telegenic, body-attractive disciplines have bigger wallets. Behind last years sponsorship bins have increased markedly in snowboarding and freestyle, which almost caught up with cross-country skiing in terms of total prize fees. Freestyle and snowboarding received an additional Olympic quota in the program Winter Games which significantly increases their financial attractiveness. Ski jumping strengthens its financial potential through rapid development women's sports. The next step is the participation of women in Nordic combined in the 2019/20 World Cup and in the 2021 World Championships.
But cross-country skiing may lose the Olympic marathon disciplines in four years. FIS President Kasper thought about this aloud more than once when discussing the prospects for the Games. True, it is possible to replace marathons with ... ski cross, perhaps the appearance of a mixed relay. But the likelihood of some reduction in the program of cross-country skiing is very high. Just as it is quite real that the FIS will abandon such expensive, costly Olympic disciplines as downhill skiing in skiing ah, jumping off the big trampolines.
Fees
We've been taught the obligatory financial statistics in reporting on tennis, football, and other prestigious sports. Earnings of representatives of different ski disciplines look more than modest against the background of the income of the stars of advanced money sports. This is probably the main reason for the restrained interest in the dividends of cyclical athletes (or maybe cyclists). However, the world leaders in skiing, regardless of their specialization, can hardly be called poor, insolvent.
Alpine skiing is the “sweetest” FIS sport in terms of all financial indicators. Ski leaders earn many times more than representatives of other disciplines. Gender disparity in the distribution of prize money is long gone, and female champions often earn more than men. So it was last season in alpine skiing. American Mikaela Shifrin earned 70,000 francs more than Austrian World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher (529,000 in prize money). Norwegian Heidi Weng was also financially more successful by 57 thousand francs in comparison with compatriot Martin Sundby (215 thousand) in cross-country skiing.
Prize payouts in the 2016/17 FIS Men's World Cups
(Swiss francs)
Russian skiers' fees
In the context of the prize money, a small digression from the main topic of the article will probably be interesting. The prize money earned by the best Russian racer Sergey Ustyugov in the 2016/17 season (172 thousand) corresponds to the level of 6-7 places in the Alpine Skiing Cup and about the third place in ski jumping.
The best Russian ski jumper Yevgeny Klimov, who took 17th place in the World Cup, earned 38,000 francs. But on the account of the Russian skier-racer Alexander Bessmertnykh 9.5 thousand francs for 11th place in the distance and 15th in the overall cup rankings. Sprint specialization allows some athletes to earn no worse than distance workers. For example, Gleb Zealous, the second Russian racing driver in cup fees, earned 21 thousand for 11th place among sprinters, and Natalya Matveeva, seventh in the sprint classification, brought the highest fee among compatriots - 27 thousand francs. For comparison, the 11th place of Yulia Chekaleva, the best Russian woman in the overall standings, brought her 8.5 thousand prize money.
Main MarketsFIS
More than half (58%) of all sponsorship investments in FIS programs and projects come from three European countries: Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The American market is the third in this rating with a share of 15%. Russia is included in the "rest of the world" category (worldwide) with an insignificant contribution (data from REPUCOM).
The volume of sponsorship investments of the leading winter sports markets
And now look at the popularity of different ski types in the mentioned market leaders. Alpine skiing is the undoubted favorite in the attractiveness rating. The only exception is Germany, where the priority of spectator interest is still given to biathlon (data from REPUCOM).
Popularity of winter (ski) sports
In Italy, France, Sweden, alpine skiing is also in the tops of reputation, but with less superiority over other disciplines.
Sadly, cross-country skiing has lost its once-strong position in the winter popularity rankings, despite the relatively voluminous TV coverage that has remained.
Volume of TV broadcasts (hours) and TV audience (million people) in the top ten winter sports countries
Over the years, skiing has been gaining the most TV airtime (almost 3,400 hours in 2015/16 season) in the top ten countries that support winter sports market. This top 10 list also includes Russia.
If alpine skiing leads in terms of TV coverage, then ski jumping gathers the largest number of viewers. The main contribution to the jumping television audience is made by watching the New Year's Four Hills Tournament.
The relatively low performance of freestyle and snowboarding cannot be underestimated. These relatively new winter disciplines are rapidly gaining television appeal. It is already comparable to Nordic combined, and the enviable pace of expansion of its markets promises very enviable prospects for freestyle and snowboarding.
To be continued is a must. Soon.
Why skiers are paid more than biathletes, while bobsleigh and skeleton compete almost for free
By the beginning of December, all winter sports opened their season. Bobsledders and skeletonists were the last to join the competitive rhythm - the first stage of the World Cup was held at the weekend in Sigulda, Latvia. The rest of the sports started earlier, and, for example, in figure skating they have already managed to play for the awards of the prestigious Grand Prix series.
Russian athletes started the 2018/19 season very successfully. Alexander Bolshunov leads the overall World Cup in cross-country skiing, Evgeny Klimov became the first Russian to win the World Cup in ski jumping, the crew of Nadezhda Sergeyeva and Yulia Belomestnykh reached silver at the World Cup in bobsleigh - and this is the first podium for bobsledders from Russia for 15 years. Many victories in speed skating, medals in short track, skeleton, biathlon and figure skating. Forbes found out how much they pay for them.
White gold
Winter sports live within their means: the amount of prize money for athletes directly depends on how commercially successful this or that federation is. The more spectators in the stands and the higher the TV ratings of the sport, the more solid the sponsors and, as a result, the more zeros in the prize amounts.
Popular on TV competitions - ski jumping, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and biathlon - generously pay for the success of athletes. Thus, for a victory at the Alpine Skiing World Cup stage, you can earn from ₣38,000 to ₣79,000, the Tour de Ski champion receives ₣55,000, and in biathlon the leadership in the overall World Cup standings at the end of the season costs €28,000. In figure skating, which is much loved in Russia and Japan, there are also decent prize money, but there are very few well-paid starts.
Outside of the televised species, the bonus system operates with much more modest numbers. In bobsleigh and skeleton, prizes are paid only at the end of the season, in speed skating a stage victory costs $1,500, and in sledges - €1,000.
The telegenicity and stable interest of sponsors ensure the financial well-being of biathlon: a tight competitive calendar and solid fees. The prize fund of the 2018/19 World Cup has grown by a third compared to last season. The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has introduced bonuses for final victories in individual disciplines (only 1st place is awarded: €10,000 - individual races, €20,000 - relay races), and also increased payments for success at the World Championships (€25,000 - for winning the individual race, €28,000 for the relay). The IBU also has a reward system at the end of the season. The overall winner will receive €28,000, and the 10th place winner will receive €6,000. Plus, in biathlon, even those who do not qualify for the status World Cup have the opportunity to earn money. For example, at the stages of a more modest IBU Cup, the top six are celebrated - from €3,000 to €8,000.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) prefers settlements in Swiss francs and sets a minimum prize fund for each World Cup start of ₣120,000. However, prize money is higher at particularly prestigious stages: for example, in the 2017/18 season in the men's downhill in Kitzbühel ₣200,000 were played, and in the women's slalom in the Austrian Flachau - ₣194,054. Women have more "expensive" races in the calendar, so the leadership of the American Shiffrin in the income ranking (12 wins in the 17/18 season) should not be surprising. The men's leader - Austrian Marcel Hirscher - earned ₣669,681.
In cross-country skiing, the theme of multi-day competitions is being actively developed, where the main cash bonuses are distributed according to the results of several starts, and they pay modestly for winning at a separate distance. Thus, the prize fund of the Tour de Ski - 7 races in 9 days - is ₣560,000, while the victory at the stage costs ₣3,000, in the overall standings - ₣55,000. One of the starting stages of the season (in 2018 it was the Lillehammer Triple) and the World Cup final were arranged according to the same scheme. According to the results of each race, only winners are rewarded (₣5,000 - ₣3,000 - ₣2,000), and according to the results of the multi-day race, bonuses are received by the top 20: from ₣22,500 to ₣250. According to the results of the World Cup, payments are provided for the top 6: ₣ 31350 - to the winner, ₣4125 - to the 6th place.
Only the strongest athletes participate in the Grand Prix series, and the skater (duet) can only compete in two stages, and the top six in each discipline go to the final. In addition, European and world championships are held annually. Winning the Euro is worth $20,000 ($30,000 for couples), the best result at the World Championship is $45,000 ($67,500 for couples). From August to December, tournaments of a more modest Challengers series (10 stages) are held, where at the end of the season the top three participants in each event are rewarded: $4,000 - $3,000 - $2,000 for singles and $5,000 - $4,000 - $3,000 for couples.
Women won the right to compete in top tournaments only towards the end of the 2000s, so there is no question of any financial equality here yet: men compete and earn more. At the same time, ski jumping is the most popular TV sport of the winter, gathering an audience of under 3 billion per season. This explains the interest of sponsors and the growing prize money. Previously, the 4-Hills-Tournament was considered the most prestigious and cash competition (plus ₣25,000 for the final victory), and since 2017, four Norwegian World Cups have been combined into the Raw Air tournament with a prize pool of ₣100,000 for the top 3 in overall standings.
Speed skating is dominated by specialization: sprinters are rarely successful over long distances and vice versa, so athletes, as a rule, start only in “their” disciplines. Understanding this, the International Federation (ISU) organizes several world championships every year - in the classic all-around, sprint and individual distances. So skaters of any specialty have a chance to get a valuable title and serious prize money. For example, the winner of the overall World Championship at individual distances receives $72,000.
Short track
$15 000 there is a victory in the overall standings of the World Cup in each individual discipline (500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m). The tournament consists of five stages, but athletes receive cash prizes only at the end of the season: $12,000 for 2nd place, $9,000 for 3rd, and $2,500 for 10th. Team achievements are also rewarded. The victory in the relay standings is estimated at $12,000, in the mixed discipline - at $8,000. You can earn extra money in short track at the annual world championships ($6,000 for gold) and Europe ($2,500).
Snowboard
₣25 000 is the minimum prize fund of the start within the World Cup. In individual disciplines (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air), the top 10 participants receive money: the first place gets 45%, the 10th - 1.5%. In parallel events (slalom and giant slalom) and snowboard cross, the total prize money must be at least ₣30,000 and is distributed among the top 16. In team competitions, the ₣15,000 bonus is shared by the top three.
Freestyle
₣375 can be earned for placing 10th at the World Cup in one of the six freestyle skiing disciplines: mogul, ski cross, acrobatics, big air, halfpipe and slopestyle. They pay ₣11,250 for a victory. Organizers of the competition are allowed to establish a special prize fund, combining several starts into a total score, but the additional bonus must be at least 25% of the established minimum - ₣25,000.
Biathlon (ski jumping and cross-country skiing)
₣160 510 earned for the 2017/18 season Japanese Nordic combined Akito Watabe. He received ₣37,500 for winning the overall World Cup standings, and ₣6,250 for the prize for the best jumper. In addition, he became the winner of the two main tournaments of the season: the Nordic Combined Triple in Seefeld made him richer by ₣24,000, and the Finnish Ruka Tour - by ₣22,000. In addition, ₣33,150 are played at each start of the World Cup: 1st place costs ₣8000, 2nd - ₣6000, 3rd - ₣4000, 20th - ₣350. Watabe never dropped below 16th.
Bobsleigh and skeleton
€20 000 receives the crew that won the overall Bobsleigh World Cup standings (in twos or fours), 10th place is awarded €1,000. In Skeleton, the best result at the end of the season is worth €5,000. Prizes are not paid for victories at individual stages, as well as for successes at the World and European Championships in bobsleigh and skeleton.
luge
€220 000 is the total prize fund of the Luge World Cup. Competitions are held in seven disciplines: four men's (single sled, double sled and sprint), two women's (single sled and sprint), plus a mixed relay. Winning a World Cup stage costs €1,000, 2nd place €900, 3rd place €800, 6th place €100
The Winter World Cups ended last weekend. This season, these starts have remained in the shadow of the Olympics, but for many athletes it is the performances at the World Cups and Grand Prix that remain the main content of their careers and the main source of income. After all, the World Cups were originally conceived not as secondary warm-ups before the Olympics or World Championships, but as full-fledged commercial starts.
Incentive systems in international federations are built differently. For example, in biathlon, the bonus program is quite simple. Each individual race costs 42,000 euros at stake, of which 12,000 goes to the winner. The situation is approximately the same in skiing, where 40,000 Swiss francs are raffled off in each start, with 15,000 of them going to the winner. In both cases, the first ten athletes earn money.
Additional prize money in biathlon is also received by the top ten of the overall World Cup standings at the end of the season. The first place brings 25,000 euros. Leading in the overall standings or in one of the four individual standings for disciplines during the season also gives biathletes bonuses. Participation in the race in a yellow or red jersey allows you to earn an additional 500 euros, but in a yellow-red one - 1000 euros. There are also prize money in IBU Cup, and a successful performance in the Cup of Nations brings money to the federations.
In skiing, the system for distributing money depending on the start is more complex. So, in the stages included in the opening tour of the season in Kuusamo, the "Tour de ski" or the closing tour in Falun, prizes are paid only to the first three participants. But the money according to the results of the competition is distributed among the top ten. The winner of the Kuusamo stage earns CHF 33,500, the Falun stage winner CHF 33,750 and the Tour de Ski winner CHF 90,000.
According to the results of the World Cup, the prize money for best places in the overall standings, only the first six receive, and the winner gets an additional 25,375 francs. Also in skiing there are bonuses for a place in the top three of the Tour de Ski sprint standings and the title the best athlete under the age of 23 at the end of the season. In general, the earnings of the best skiers on the planet are slightly higher than those of the best biathletes, although the difference is small.
In alpine skiing, the amount of prize money at different stages may differ and depends on the prize fund. The FIS does not give a detailed layout, but it is known that the prize minimum for each start in one of the disciplines of the World Cup is 100,000 Swiss francs for ten. Big crystal globes Austrians Anna Fenninger and Marcel Hirscher topped up their account with more than 268,000 and 283,000 euros respectively last season. These are the highest incomes in all winter activities sports.
A complex system is applied by the FIS in the distribution of prize money in men's ski jumping. In each individual start, 71,800 Swiss francs are at stake (more than this amount only in alpine skiing). However, this money is distributed more evenly - among all 30 athletes who scored points. Therefore, the best at the end of the season earn less than in skiing and biathlon. There is, however, also the "Four Hills Tournament", where the organizers pay additional prize money. By the way, in women's ski jumping, incomes in comparison with men's are still incomparable.
Skaters receive prize money only if they get into the top three at the end of a separate start. The main source of income here is a place in the top ten in in person at the end of the season (for the mass start - in the top five). Winning your distance in the World Cup brings $15,000. In addition, the overall World Cup winner receives an additional $20,000 bonus.
In short track skating, prize money is paid out only at the end of the entire World Cup. Winning the standings at one of the distances brings 5,000 dollars. A similar system is in bobsleigh and skeleton.
Good prize money is played at the stages of the "Grand Prix" of the skaters. Money brings both getting into the top five at one of the stages (18,000 dollars for a victory), and participation in the final of the series (25,000 for a victory). But since you can only take part in two stages, you won’t be able to earn more than $61,000 here anyway. This season, Mao Asada, Alena Savchenko/Robin Shelkovy and Meryl Davis/Charlie White succeeded. Couples, of course, share the income between two.
PRIZE AT INDIVIDUAL STAGES OF THE WORLD CUP AND "GRAND PRIX" (IN EURO)
| Kind of sport | personal start | Team start | ||
| Whole amount | Winner | Whole amount | Winner | |
| Biathlon | 42 000 (10*) | 12 000 | 55 100 (6) | 20 000 |
| Skis** | 32 835,84 (10) | 12 313 | 24 627 (6) | 9 851 |
| Ski jumping (M) | 58 940 (30) | 8 209 | 57 463 (3) | 24 627 |
| Ski Jumping (W) | 14 727 (15) | 2 463 | 8 209 (3) | 4 925 |
| biathlon | 27 213 (20) | 6 567 | 24 627 (3/6***) | 13 134/9 851*** |
| Skiing | 82 090 (10) | no data | - | - |
| Freestyle | 16 418 (10) | 6 978 | - | - |
| Snowboard | 20 522 (10) | 9 235 | - | - |
| Skates | 2 392 (3) | 1 087 | 3 479 (3) | 1 522 |
| Figure skating**** | 32 616 (5) | 13 046,4 | - | - |
* the number of participants, pairs or teams, by which the total amount is divided.
** except for the stages of the "Tour de Ski", as well as starts in Kuusamo and Falun.
*** team competition/team sprint.
**** except for the "Grand Prix" final.
For alpine skiing, freestyle and snowboarding, the minimum possible payouts are shown.
SEASON PRIZES FOR CERTAIN WORLD CUP OVERALL WINNERS
| Name | Floor | A country | Kind of sport | Prize money, euro |
| Marcel HIRSCHER | M | Austria | Skiing | 283 919 |
| Anna FENNINGER | AND | Austria | Skiing | 268 237 |
| Martin Jonsrud SUNDBY | M | Norway | Skis | 196 092 |
| Teresa YOHAUG | AND | Norway | Skis | 187 267 |
| Martin FOURCADE | M | France | Biathlon | 178 350 |
| Kaisa MAKARAINEN | AND | Finland | Biathlon | 137 800 |
| Kamil STOH | M | Poland | ski jumping | 121 082 |
| Eric Frentzel | M | Germany | biathlon | 70 146 |
| Sara Takanashi | AND | Japan | ski jumping | 48 515 |
| Heather RICHARDSON | AND | USA | Skates | 41 241 |
| Shani DAVIS | M | USA | Skates | 38 580 |
