The first Grand Classics event Marcialonga takes place this Sunday. The prize money pot for completing a Grand Slam is now reviled awarding the achievement with 100 000 EUR. No-one so far in history has been able to complete a Grand Slam which is done by winning the four Grand Classics events in Visma Ski Classics the same season. Will we see the first one this year?
Visma Ski Classics launched the Grand Classics events in the spring 2020, being Marcialonga, Jizerska 50, Vasaloppet and Birkebeinerrennet. The four “monuments” in the world of cross country skiing are the most prestigious events in Visma Ski Classics, and they all have a long history. To complete a Grand Slam, a skier has to win all the four Grand Classics events in the same season. If both a male and a female skier manage to complete the Grand Slam, the prize money of 100 000 EUR will be shared between them.
“The launch of the Grand Classics and the possibility to complete a Grand Slam gives the world of cross country skiing an extra sport dimension for our athletes. Within my knowledge this is the single highest prize money ever within the sport. In addition to the the Prize Money, secured the Ski Classics and Wsportsmedia AB together, these events also hand out more points to the winners,” says David Nilsson CEO Visma Ski Classics.
No athlete throughout the history has managed to win all four events during the same season, completing a Grand Slam. Swedish Sven Åke Lundbäck in 1981 and Italian Cristina Paluselli in 2005 and 2006 have been the closest so far by winning three Grand Classics events in one season.
Completing a Grand Slam, all four Grand Classics events same season:
None!
Won all four Grand Classics events different seasons:
Anders Aukland (completed 2008)
Petter Eliassen (completed 2019)
Jenny Grip (Hansson) (completed 2011)
Cristina Paluselli (completed 2006)
Won three Grand Classics events same season:
Sven Åke Lundbäck 1981 (missing Jizerska 50)
Cristina Paluselli 2005 (missing Vasaloppet) 2006 (missing Birkebeinerrennet)
Won three Grand Classics events different seasons:
Andreas Nygaard (missing Marcialonga)
Oskar Svärd (missing Birkebeinerrennet)
Britta Johansson Norgren (missing Birkebeinerrennet)
Kateřina Smutná (missing Birkebeinerrennet)
Won two Grand Classics events same season:
Bengt Hassis (1985 same year his brother Ola Hassis won Birkebeinerrennet)
Seraina Boner
Britta Johansson Norgren
Kateřina Smutná
Petter Eliassen
Jörgen Aukland (In 2013 Jörgen won two Grand Classics events and his brother Anders two, a family Grand Slam)
Anders Aukland
Jerry Ahrlin
Jenny Grip
Andreas Nygaard
Hilde G Pedersen
Oskar Svärd
Stanislav Řezáč
Svetlana Nageikina
Lara Peyrot
