Astrid Öyre Slind Protests against Janteloppet: "Pissing on Women's Sports"

In an act of protest, Norwegian skier Astrid Öyre Slind set fire to her racing bib in response to the unequal prize distribution at Janteloppet. This annual ski event, established by Petter Northug, has ignited controversy following revelations that the female participants would receive significantly lower prize money than their male counterparts.

Öyre Slind, who ranked fourth in the overall World Cup standings last season, expressed her outrage upon learning that only 60,000 Norwegian krone (about 5,500 USD) would be allocated for the women's prize pool, with 30,000 krone going to the winner, in stark contrast to the men's substantial prizes.

"It’s outrageous that such vast differences exist. I cannot support this," she stated, emphasizing the need for equality in sports.

Janteloppet is a competition held in Hafjell, Norway, since 2018, and has attracted attention for its prize structure. According to the race organizers, the decision to reduce the prize money stemmed from a lack of female registrants, with only 14 women signing up compared to nearly 70 male participants.

"We respect Öyre Slind’s and the other women’s disappointment, but with so few registrations, we had to make difficult choices for the survival of the event," remarked the event organizer, noting their intent to improve conditions for women in future editions of the race. They are committed to discussing solutions to increase female participation and equity in prize distribution going forward.