A Beautiful Gesture from Halvor Egner Granerud

Norwegian ski jumper Halvor Egner Granerud has allocated one of the sponsorship spots on his suit and jacket to raise funds for medal bonuses for disabled athletes participating in the World Championships in Trondheim from February 26 to March 9.

Granerud expressed his frustration over the absence of any reward for disabled athletes, stating, "As of today, there are no planned rewards for them, which I find unjust, and I decided to take action. I hope others, especially those who earn well, will follow my lead." This statement was made during an interview with NRK TV channel.

This year in Trondheim, for the first time in history, disabled athletes will compete simultaneously with able-bodied ones in the World Championships, yet they are not slated to receive rewards for their medals. Able-bodied athletes will earn €15,000 for a gold medal, €10,000 for silver, and €5,000 for bronze.

Granerud further elaborated, "If we are to compete in the same place, at the same time, on the same courses and facilities, and in front of the same audience, there should be some fairness. It's not right that able-bodied athletes are well compensated while disabled athletes are treated like beggars."

The general director of the 2025 World Championships, Age Skinstad, revealed that their requests for funding from the Ministry of Culture and Sports for the participation of disabled athletes—including a recent application for €200,000, mainly for their bonuses—were rejected.

The 28-year-old Granerud has earned three silver medals in team events at the World Championships and also holds gold and bronze in team ski flying, as well as individual silver. Additionally, he has topped the overall standings in the World Cup twice.

Source: Polish Press Agency