XC Team Seeks Sponsor for Trondheim WSC

Three months out from the 2025 World Championship in Trondheim, the Australian Team is seeking a Norwegian sponsor.

Cutting to the chase, it is expensive to bring a team to the World Championship in Norway. Accommodation alone is expected to be more than $2,500 per person for 12 days in the official hotel. With 10 athletes and 5 support staff (2 coaches and 3 wax techs), that’s nearly $40K. Add in flights, waxing expenses and support staff fees, and pockets become empty pretty quickly. Sponsorship from Falls Creek and base funding from Snow Australia helps to pay support staff expenses. Regardless, event fees for the athletes are likely to be over $3,000 each.

At the Falun World Championship in 2015 the Australian Team was fortunate to find a local Swedish company Isoflex who kicked in some money in return for branding on team uniform and inside access to the team and event. This funding directly offset athlete costs at the championship and a great local connection was established.

Falun 2015 World Championship: Casey Wright in competition; Liselotte Johnson (L) and Xanthea Dewez (R).

Though cross country skiing is a small sport in Australia, it is massive in Norway. Crowds at the 2011 World Championship in Oslo exceeded 100,000 for the women's 30km finale. It may be a stretch for Australian athletes to make the podium (the best ever Australian World Championship individual result is 22nd), however the team is an enthusiastic bunch not shy of being visible around the tracks and on social media.

Oslo 2011 World Championship: Men's Relay Team L-R Callum Watson, Ben Sim, Ewan Watson, Mark van der Plog; AUS van v NOR truck

Are you able to assist? Anyone with connections to potential Norwegian companies or benefactors please reach out to Snow Australia Cross Country Program Director Finn Marsland via fmarsland@snow.org.au, or contact any of the athletes directly via their social media accounts.

Individual donations can also be made to the team via the Australian Sports Foundation.