Marit Bjoergen — 23 years old – celebrated last weekend after her seventh straight World Cup Sprint victory. The World Cup trophy is now hers to keep, after outclassing her competitors. Last weekend’s final victory in Pragelato, Italy, netted her about $20,000 — adding up her sponsorship bonuses and the FIS price money.
Had she been an alpine skier, five miles up the hill from Pragelato, in Sestrieres, her win would have put about 10 times more money into her bank account.
The winner of a men’s Alpine World Cup race makes about $150,000 per race victory (prize money plus sponsor victory bonuses), the alpine women a little less. However, in the alpine discipline, the overall season World Cup victory is royally paid.
“I get paid price money and bonuses from sponsors for each race, but nothing from winning the overall season title. This is the way it is in the Cross-Country disciplineâ€, says Bjoergen after using her leg speed to demolish the women’s field in seven out of eight Sprint races this year.
Important year
Now Bjoergen is ready to renegotiate her ski, poles, boots, bindings and eyewear contracts for next year. Managers and attorneys represent alpine stars, all specialists in contracts, taxes and in handling large sums of money. They know that the next two years are important for the ski manufacturers, with Nordic World Championships in Oberstorf, Germany and Alpine Championships in Bormio, Italy next year followed by the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino. Now is the time to ask for high paid contract! Not so for the Cross-Country’s crown princess:
“I have to do all the negotiating myselfâ€, says Marit, “this is how it is for us. The ski and equipment manufacturers come to one of our training camps. There we will sign our contractsâ€.
– No negotiations before signing?
“Well, of course we can voice our wishes. Now that my chances are good for Gold at the World Championship, I may negotiate a high victory bonus, while keeping a lower royalty. But, you don’t find the big money in Cross-Country, anyhowâ€.
Won’t change equipment
Marit Bjoergen has made about $250,000 this year. But, rather than thinking about money, she is really more focused on having fast skis. She won on the Olympic terrain in Pragelato using skis that tested faster than legendary Benta Skari’s super-skis.
“I will stay with my current ski manufacturer. Perhaps it's not so smart to say this, but I don’t want to changeâ€.
She also thinks she can still improve skiing. She is still training much less than many of her competitors, and about 100 hours less yearly than Bente Skari did last year. Coach Svein Tore Samdal thinks she should increase by 50 hours this year. She is even a bit more cautious:
“I’ll take one step at a time. I’ll increase a bit this year, depending on if it’s hard training or not. It has worked well so farâ€.
Hard to believe, but Marit Bjoergen has not trained specifically for Spint racing. Her explosive legs are a genetic gift. Therefore she’ll continue to train “normalâ€, in hope to also get even better in the longer, traditional distance races.
