The ‘ridiculous differences’ in prizes of the men and women’s qualifying round has been slammed online.
At the end of December last year, a Two-Night Ski Jumping Tour event was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Selina Freitag – a 23-year-old athlete who’s competed in the Olympics – took part in the FIS World Cup Ski Jumping Women Individual HS142, finishing in first place in the qualifying round on December 30. However, the reward for her winning the heat was drastically different to what was handed to the winner of the men’s division.
CNN reports a spokesperson for skiing’s governing body, FIS, confirmed winners of the women’s qualifiers don’t receive prize money but winners of the men’s do.
Jan Hoerl – the winner of the men’s qualifying round – is reported as having received 3,000 Swiss Francs (around $3,290) for finishing first place.
In an interview with German TV channel BR24, Freitag confirmed she ‘received a partner bag with shower gel and shampoo and four hand towels’.
She added: “It’s like, ‘Here, we unfortunately didn’t have 500 euros left over’. I don’t want to complain too much about it, but you can see the differences.”
The FIS added the gift for the winner of the women’s round included a voucher for wellness treatments for a weekend before reflecting on the differences between the prizes.
FIS said: “[It] was certainly well intentioned, but it is understandable that it may have generated frustration and given a bad impression if seen as formal compensation for the victory. This was not the case.”
It argued the interest in women’s ski jumping is less than men’s, and subsequently the revenue to be made impacts the prize money available.
However, Her Sport – a media platform dedicated to women’s sport and championing gender equality in the industry – has slammed the response.
Her Sport said in a thread shared to Twitter: “Imagine qualifying at a top-tier sports competition and walking away with… shampoo and towels while your male colleagues who did the exact same job…leave with €3,200 in cash prize money.
“Selina Freitag is a German Ski Jumper who recently won at the Two-Night Ski Jumping Tour in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. While the men who achieve this feat are rewarded with €3,200, Selina was instead given a hygiene kit with shampoo, lotion and four towels as her prize.”
The group argued the disparity between how the winners were rewarded ‘highlights the inequalities that STILL exist in sport to this day’.
“The contrast between the prizes for males and females are unacceptable, and is reminiscent of when the German football team of 1989 received a set of tea cups for winning the European Championship,” it continued. “Thirty-six years later and we are still seeing ridiculous differences in prize money such as this one. Selina’s achievement deserves to be celebrated with the same respect and rewards as her male counterparts.”
Imagine qualifying at a top-tier sports competition and walking away with… shampoo and towels while your male colleagues who did the exact same job…leave with €3,200 in cash prize money. 🧵1/6
(Video Credit: @br24wintersport and @dwnews) pic.twitter.com/mKihXoRqNQ
— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) January 14, 2025
Reflecting on the ‘argument’ about ‘revenue generation,’ Her Sport argued ‘revenue doesn’t grow in a vaccum’.
Breaking down ‘the truth,’ it continued: “It starts with investment & commitment to bridging the gap. Without equity as the foundation, it’s easy to make excuses for why things can’t change.”
The post resolves: “Selina’s achievement deserves more than applause-it deserves a reward that reflects the caliber of her effort. Equity isn’t about forcing sameness; it’s about creating opportunities for women’s sports to thrive.
“We can’t expect progress if we can’t take the first step.”
UNILAD has contacted the FIS for comment.
