Charlotte Kalla might be the biggest Swedish star of the recent World Championship in Lahti, but she ain’t getting a financial reward for her performance from the country’s skiing federation.
Despite winning two individual medals and a silver as a part of the women’s relay race, Kalla did not fulfill conditions for getting the bonus and is set to lose some 100.000 SEK ( about 10000 Euros/US dollars) she would otherwise be entitled to.
Swedish team manager Johan Sares explains why:
“The bonuses are part of åkaravtalet and go to the skiers participating in our training groups. Charlotte knows it full well”
The åkaravtalet mentioned is a form of a contract that stipulates skiers’ participation not only in training but in various “extracurricular activities” in the interests of team sponsors. Kalla, arguably the most popular female athlete in Sweden not just in cross country skiing, but overall, have chosen to train separately from the team – and has her own, personal sponsorships.
Kalla’s reaction to the loss of bonus is not known (although her personal trainer Magnus Ingesson have expressed a dismay at the federation’s decision in interview with Aftonbladet newspaper)
While substantial, the loss of bonus is unlikely to make Kalla destitute – her personal company Charlotte Kalla AB, through which the skier draws her main income, have reported a profit of some 2.2 million SEK ( 220.000 EUR/USD) for the last year.
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