The 23-year-old from Tromsø was undefeated in the World Cup this winter and is aiming for gold in Trondheim in March. If she wins, there will be prize money in her account as well. However, this is no guarantee.

At the last World Championships, she claimed two individual golds in distance events, a silver in the sprint, and a bronze in the relay. This year, Vilde Nilsen hopes to win gold in the sprint at the World Championships in Trondheim, which would also bring prize money.

However, it wasn’t a given, as the Ski World Championships had not initially allocated funds for prize money for para-athletes. On Tuesday morning, it was announced that para-athletes would indeed receive prize money.

“It’s absolutely fantastic. We were quite pessimistic a few weeks ago, and now it’s looking much brighter,” Nilsen told NRK.

Only a Fraction Compared to Cross-Country Skiers

The prize amounts for para-athletes are significantly lower than what Kristine Stavås Skistad, Linn Svahn, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, and the rest of the cross-country skiing circuit compete for. While the winners of the cross-country sprint receive $17,000USD, the winners of the para cross-country sprint receive only $5400USD.

For Vilde Nilsen, the symbolic impact is what matters most.

“$5400 USD for first place is much more than we’ve ever received, so it’s fantastic. The symbolic aspect is the most important. This is a turning point,” says the 23-year-old from Tromsø.

No one has beaten this girl this year.

The reason for the lower prize money is partly due to the many more classes in para cross-country skiing, explained World Championships Director Åge Skinstad, who believes the differences are acceptable.

“There are more classes for para-athletes, which means the payout per gold medalist is slightly lower. However, this amount is significantly higher than they have received before, and I think it’s a decent prize sum to start with. Now we have good prize money for para-athletes, which we hope to continue in the future,” says Skinstad.

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Crowdfunding Was Necessary

It wasn’t guaranteed that para-athletes would get prize money in this winter’s World Championships. Ski World Championships had not initially budgeted for it.

However, generous sponsors, athletes, and a crowdfunding campaign have ensured there will be prize money for the para winners. Halvor Egner Granerud donated a sponsor spot, several Norwegian sponsors contributed funds, and the Ski World Championships also received support from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).

In total, there is $91,000 USD in the prize pool for para-athletes.

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