Does cross-country skiing require prize money and who does it have to come from? New column by Veronika Stepanova

Everyone is interested in reading about money. Here are the nuances of one-stage simultaneous skating – a few thousand people, and discussing salaries, bonuses and other income – this is every expert and everyone has their own opinion.

I managed to move quickly from the regional team to the main team. I vividly remember, like yesterday, how we split the cost of an economy taxi ride to the nearest grocery store for three with the boot camp girls. Traveling together was a waste, and alone was just too expensive. But as the results improved, not only did the number of medals hanging on the wall of my parents’ house increase, but my bank account also increased.

The difference between me at 21 and more experienced teammates is obvious: almost everyone has a family, most have children. I can invest in my career. And I invest. I spent the World Cup prize money in Lillehammer on an upgrade to business class on the way to the Beijing Olympics. I was somewhat surprised by the hype about this – for me, such “investment in results” is an obvious choice. If possible, of course. The prize money for winning the Olympics, in turn, I invested in training in Ramsau in June between the main camps.

You paid attention to the word “price”, of course. Recently, there have been many different opinions regarding award-winning skiers. I will allow myself a few considerations and I, as the person who, in fact, receives these prize money (or not, in the end).

First of all, I am sure that paying bonuses from federal or regional budgets will in no way be the right decision. Public funds should be spent on children’s sports, to stimulate coaches, to maintain ski slopes on the ground in good condition (for example, for the purchase of retracks; yes, those made in Belarus are perfect). Of course, it’s great that the state finances the best athletes through the Center d’Encade Sportif, thus making us a kind of state employees – it gives confidence. These payments – usually they are called “benefits” – are available for collections in Norway, Sweden, etc. It’s just different models. For example, proceeds from the national lottery go to the National Olympic Committee, which pays the athletes.

But the prize money, I’m sure, should come from other sources.

No need to hide: they will become an excellent motivation at Russian competitions – for us it is both a quarterly bonus and a “surcharge for difficult working conditions” (am I not mistaken in the wording?).

But let’s start by understanding the definitions and remembering how it works internationally.

World Cup prize money is not paid by National Federations or FIS. Specifically, they formally pay, but the money still comes from the sale of media rights. That is to say that my price, conditionally, for the relay in Lillehammer comes a little from Norwegian television, a little from Swedish, Finnish television and, of course, from , the official broadcaster of the FIS world in Russia.

I don’t understand why we have to reinvent the wheel: the major World Cup races of recent years in Russia have been followed by more than three million viewers, most of them from the 18-54 category dear to all advertisers. Such an audience is already successfully monetized. After all, the same Bolshunov and Nepryaeva, who “gave the number” over the past two years, will run in the Russian Cup. And the fact that their rivals aren’t the best Swedes and Norwegians, but quite ours, is good, isn’t it?

I’ll tell you a big secret (no): not everyone in the team trains to finish tenth or twelfth, but to beat Bolshunova and Nepryaeva at least in one race! And the fact that the general public knows Klebo and Sundling even better than Russian skiers is a matter of media work and promotion. What I do, I see no reason to hide. Do you want to encourage me or turn on the television to slander my failure – that’s secondary. The important thing is that it is included.

Further away. Prize money is not just direct payments at the finish line from sponsor money. In Norway, which is a pioneer in cross-country skiing, the actual prize money in national competitions is extremely low – a few hundred, sometimes thousands of euros in equivalent. But what bonus for the victory will be paid by the personal sponsor (or philanthropist) of the rider, only the two know, plus the taxman of course. But there is a way to determine with the naked eye: the managers of the Norwegian national team use cars provided by sponsors worth about one million crowns, or about 6-7 million rubles. And those who race less well get much more modest cars from personal sponsors. Is it a cash prize? From my point of view, absolutely: there is a direct link between victories and profits.

The same goes for the other personal sponsors: they both demand two things: wins and a certain promotion of the company within the framework provided by the contract. But the victories remain primary.

And here I have to return to my favorite topic again: all personal sponsors somehow take into account the appearance of a skier on national television, preferably live. Without television, the sponsor’s logo is visible to a maximum of 10,000 spectators in the stadium and along the track. On television, millions. Only grumpy social media commentators are upset that Bolshunov became, for example, an ambassador for a bank and bookmaker. And the bank and bookmakers will see an influx of customers after Sasha’s next victories at the Russian Cup – and they will find a way to “pay the prize money”, I think. The key is to create a strong association between their brands and its staff.

As you have already understood, I am sure that the skiers themselves should work to ensure that there are prize money, first of all, by promoting our sporting and personal brands. This is new, and not yet understood by everyone, but our country is developing very rapidly, in many practical areas we are significantly ahead of Europe. It’s time to rebuild the relationship between sport, business and media in a modern way.