A Look At the Prize Money For Top Cross-Country Skiers In The 2022/2023 Season

Traditional skiing

A Look At the Prize Money For Top Cross-Country Skiers In The 2022/2023 Season

by Leandro Lutz • 04.04.2023

Photo: Kalle Parkkinen/Bildbyrån

Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo sits at the top of the income list, having earned more than any other cross-country skier. But what about the other athletes? Let’s take a closer look at who earned what this winter.

On the women’s side, Frida Karlsson from Sweden and Tiril Udnes Weng from Norway share the top spot in prize money from the World Cup, each earning CHF 159,000. Karlsson won the Tour de Ski, while Weng won the World Cup.

Kerttu Niskanen from Finland, Jessie Diggins from the USA, and Jonna Sundling from Sweden complete the top five, all having earned over CHF 100,000 in prize money. In total, the top ten women on the prize money list earned CHF 74,200 or more.

Top 10 Women, World Cup Prize Money 2022/2023

1. Frida Karlsson, Sweden, CHF 159.000
1. Tiril Udnes Weng, Norway, CHF 159.000
3. Kerttu Niskanen, Finland, CHF 149.600
4. Jessie Diggins, USA, CHF 128.350
5. Jonna Sundling, Sweden, CHF 110.350
6. Ebba Andersson, Sweden, CHF 87.900
7. Kristien Stavås Skistad, Norway, CHF 81,600
8. Rosie Brennan, USA, CHF 77.750
9. Katharina Hennig, Germany, CHF 75.000
10. Nadine Fähndrich, Switzerland, CHF 74.200

The men’s side sees a more significant gap in income between first and tenth place. Klæbo earned a whopping CHF 380,800, with Pål Golberg of Norway in second place, earning less than half of that at CHF 184,800.

Only the top four men skiers earned over CHF 100,000 in prize money. The top ten men on the prize money list earned CHF 47,900 or more, with Sjur Røthe of Norway rounding out the list.

Top 10 Men, World Cup Prize Money 2022/2023

1. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Norway, CHF 380.800
2. Pål Golberg, Norway, CHF 184.800
3. Simen Hegstad Krüger, Norway CHF 141.550
4. Federico Pellegrino, Italy, CHF 127.300
5. Hans Christer Holund, Norway, CHF 86.700
6. Didrik Tønseth, Norway, CHF 70.600
7. Richard Jouve, France, CHF 65.300
8. Calle Halfvarsson, Sweden, CHF 56.000
9. Erik Valnes, Norway, CHF 51.800
10. Sjur Røthe, Norway, CHF 47.900

It’s worth noting that these figures only account for prize money from the World Cup and do not include earnings from the World Championships, show races, bonuses, private sponsorships, or scholarships. Nevertheless, cross-country skiing can be lucrative for those who excel at the highest level.

In summary, the 2022/2023 cross-country skiing season saw some impressive earnings for the top athletes. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo remains at the top of the income list, but several other skiers, both men, and women, also earned substantial prize money.