“If I had known this before”
Fuss about prize in women’s jumping – Hannawald reacts
01/01/2025 – 6:19 p.mReading time: 1 min.
While the men receive money, the women receive hygiene items. A circumstance that Sven Hannawald also criticizes.
Four towels, a shower cream and shampoo: Selina Freitag received this bonus for her victory in the qualification at the competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In comparison, the men receive 3,000 Swiss francs (around 3,200 euros) for success in the same round. The unequal reward has sparked debate not only among fans but also among former athletes.
Sven Hannawald, winner of the Four Hills Tournament in 2002, expressed his incomprehension on ARD and made a humorous suggestion. “If I had known this beforehand, I would have gone to the railway barrier in the morning with a bell bag and collected donations,” said the 50-year-old. His suggestion: Women should receive at least 500 or 1,000 francs for their qualifying victories.
Horst Hüttel, sports director of the German Ski Association (DSV), also sees a need for action. “We definitely have to think about it. The towel and shower gel were a bit unfortunate. It would be better not to give anything at all,” explained Hüttel. He announced talks with the organizing committees to address the issue.
The discussion about prize money is not the only point of contention in women’s ski jumping. While men have been competing in the prestigious Four Hills Tournament for decades, for women there is only the Two-Nights Tour with competitions in Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Innsbruck and Bischofshofen are currently missing from the program.
“The glass is rather half empty,” said Hüttel about the situation. “We want to take another step in the next two years. As long as this is not fully implemented, there will always be calls for it.”