Prize money soars to $111K US for Kitzbuehel classic downhill, slalom winners

Prize money in Alpine skiing is set to reach new heights in the upcoming World Cup season as the winners of the classic downhill and the slalom in Kitzbuehel in January will both receive 100,000 euros ($111,000 US), a record for a single race.

Organizers of the traditional Hahnenkamm races announced Wednesday they have raised their total prize fund from last season 25 per cent to 725,000 euros ($801,500) to mark the 80th anniversary of the event.

"We don't want to invest the budget for the 80th Hahnenkamm races into a jubilee party, but the local ski club prefers to set an example for the athletes," chief organizer Michael Huber said from Vienna.

World Cup organizers typically pay 45,000 Swiss francs ($45,170) for a win. Prize money is paid down to 30th place, which usually earns around $500.

WATCH | Dominik Paris wins 3rd career Kitzbuehel downhill race:

Dominik Paris wins 3rd career Kitzbuehel World Cup downhill race

6 years ago

Duration 3:06

The Italian edged Beat Feuz of Switzerland by 0.20 to win the classic Hahnenkamm race, becoming the first man to win two downhill events this season.

Last season, Mikaela Shiffrin earned a record 886,000 Swiss francs ($889,400) in prize money on the way to her third straight overall title. The now retired Marcel Hirscher, who won a record-extending eighth straight overall title, topped the men's list with 565,000 Swiss francs ($567,000).

The World Cup season starts Oct. 26-27 with giant slaloms for women and men on the Rettenbach glacier in Soelden, Austria.