Skøytestjernen Sander Eitrem expressed envy over the substantial financial rewards American athletes are receiving for participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, as reported by Dagbladet on February 20, 2026.
The disparity arose after American investor Ross Steven donated over $100 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee, earmarked for athletes competing in the Olympics or Paralympics. Each American athlete is now eligible to receive up to $200,000 (approximately 1.9 million Norwegian kroner) simply for participation. This unprecedented arrangement has drawn attention from competitors worldwide.
“It’s incredibly nice for them. Of course, I’m a little jealous that they get so much money just for participating in the Olympics,” Eitrem told Dagbladet. He contrasted this with the situation in Norway, where athletes do not receive a participation bonus.
Eitrem, who has previously won Olympic gold in speed skating, competed against American skater Jordan Stolz on Thursday. Stolz is among the athletes expected to benefit from the American funding initiative. Despite the financial differences, Eitrem emphasized his passion for the sport. “That’s just how it is. I skate because I really love it and it’s the only thing I want to do. If I were doing sports for the money, I would have started something else,” he stated.
The funding model is described as a “life and pension benefit” for each Olympiad an athlete participates in, but the funds are not immediately accessible to the athletes.
The financial disparity was highlighted alongside reporting on a separate matter involving allegations of theft from a bank in Afghanistan, and a million-dollar prize offered for deciphering the Indus script, as reported by Dagbladet on February 21, 2015, and January 29, 2025, respectively. These reports do not appear to be related to the Olympic funding situation.