Last winter, Johannes Thingnes Bø earned around $500,000 USD just from prize money. This winter, he has the chance to earn even more.

Ahead of the upcoming season, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has a new announcement: prize money will increase for both the World Cup and World Championships. This means that Johannes Thingnes Bø and the rest of the world’s elite will see several thousand euros added to their accounts this winter. The International Biathlon Union pays the same prize money to both women and men.

Read more: How much did Ski Classics Pro Team athletes earn in prize money?

See the table with a full overview at the end of the article.

World Cup
In the individual events: sprint, pursuit, individual, and mass start, the IBU has decided to increase the prize money. Altogether, the IBU will distribute 101,500 euros or approximately $115,000 USD per competition during the upcoming season. Last year, the sum was 93,750 euros or about $105,000 USD per competition, marking an increase of just over 8%.

The top 30 athletes share the prize money, but the most significant changes are seen from third place and down. The prize money for first and second place remains the same as last year, 15,000 and 12,000 euros, respectively. However, the prizes for third and fourth place increase by 1,000 euros to 10,000 and 9,000 euros, respectively. The prize money decreases after that, with 200 euros awarded for 30th place.

For the relay and mixed relay, there will be no change from previous years. The prize for winning remains at 26,000 euros, with second place earning 20,000 euros and third place 16,000 euros. A total of 94,000 euros will be distributed per relay during the 2024/25 season.

The same applies to the single mixed relay. The prize pool remains half of what it is for regular relay or mixed relay.

The athlete wearing the yellow leader’s jersey will also receive 1,000 euros per race. In addition, a new bonus of 2,000 euros will be introduced for the athlete with the best skiing time in a pursuit race, regardless of their finishing position. Furthermore, a prize of 500 euros will be awarded to the holder of the blue youth jersey (best athlete under 23 years old).

Read more: Tour de Ski: Prize money for the 2023/2024 edition

World Championships
For the World Championships, the IBU is also increasing the prize money for the upcoming winter. As with the World Cup, the prize money for individual events will be increased, starting from second place down.

A gold medal at the World Championships remains worth 25,000 euros, while second place increases from 19,000 to 20,000 euros, and the bronze prize now amounts to 15,000 euros compared to 14,000 euros last year. A total of 144,250 euros, or almost $160,000 USD, will be distributed during the upcoming World Championships. This represents an increase of approximately 2.5% compared to last year.

For the relay and mixed relay, as in the World Cup, there is no change. In these events, 30,000, 24,000, and 20,000 euros will be awarded to the top three teams. The same applies to the single mixed relay, with 15,000, 12,000, and 10,000 euros depending on the medal color.

The IBU made the decision about these changes during the IBU Congress in Belgrade from September 25–29.

Summary of the distribution of prize money after the increases.