Ski prize money: How much do the stars really have left?

For many, skiing is the supreme discipline of winter sports. It is therefore not surprising that the highest prize money has been paid out there for years. For a race win you usually get - for both men and women - 45.000 Swiss francs (around 41.500 euros), there are exceptions such as the downhill and slalom in Kitzbühel, where around 80.000 euros go to the winner wait. For comparison: a victory in the Biathlon World Cup is worth 15.000 euros. Important: The amounts are always stated gross.

prize money women 2020-21 (pdf) Paris is South Tyrol's prize money king The prize money has remained largely the same compared to last year, so Corona has left no trace here. Last year, Federica Brignone was the Italian team's prize money queen with almost 340.000 euros. Despite his injury, Dominik Paris also earned an impressive 140.000 euros in January. The Ultner superstar has already won prize money in his career of over one million euros .

prize money men 2020-21 (pdf)

But: How much do the ski stars really have left at the end of the day? s+ asked the former South Tyrolean speed ace Werner Heel, who was active in the World Cup circuit for almost two decades and was able to achieve numerous top results, such as a victory in the home race in Val Gardena. “It primarily depends on which tax category you fall into,” says the native of Passiria.

“For example, if you earn 100.000 euros in prize money, you are in the highest tax bracket,” says Heel. The highest tax rate in this case is 43 percent, which is always applied to that part of the income that is over 75.000 euros. Sounds complicated? To put it simply: the higher the prize money and therefore the income, the more taxes are due - in principle exactly the same as is the case for normal citizens. A gentlemanly gesture to the service man Another gentlemanly gesture is also common in the ski circus: the service man also gets a small reward. “For example, I never did it based on percentages,” says Heel, “but at the end of the year I gave my service man a nice gift and pocket money. Some give 10 percent of the prize money, others 12, and some even give the service man an amount 'over the thumb'. A reward for the ski man, almost everyone does that these days.”

How much of the prize money actually remains at the end cannot be said in general terms and is different for every athlete. However, as described above, the ski stars have to make some compromises, which can sometimes turn out to be hefty. It is not uncommon for around half of the gross prize money to have to be handed over - especially if you achieve some top positions and reach the six-figure euro range. The large sums of prize money at the end of the season are always to be seen in relative terms. “From my point of view, it would make more sense to treat all races equally.” Werner Heel Can you live off the prize money as a skier? “If you're constantly in the top 10, then sure. However, other sources of income are also important for an athlete, such as the sports group's salary or sponsorship money. But it’s also clear: the more successful you are, the more prize money you get and the more interesting you become for the sponsors,” says Heel, who doesn’t think the distribution of prize money in the ski circus is ideal. “In Kitzbühel there is the highest prize money, while a week before that in Wengen there is 'only' the standard tariff specified by the FIS, even though the piste here is also very demanding and it is a classic. From my point of view, it would make more sense if we had a uniform line here and treated all races equally.”

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Ski prize money: How much do the stars really have left?

Corona or not – around 9 million Swiss francs (around 8,3 million euros) in prize money will be distributed in the Alpine Ski World Cup this year. But how much do the ski stars really have left at the end of the day?

Suggestions

Comments (0)