A month ago, Jolanda Neff (28) fulfilled a dream. She became an Olympic champion in Tokyo. And today? The St. Gallen resident has the chance of a very special double. In Val di Sole (It) she could become world champion for the second time since 2017. On paper, Neff’s chances are excellent, as the field is weaker than Tokyo. And yet World Cup gold would be a surprise. Why?
Neff gave the answer a few days ago in a Zoom call. “The last four weeks have not been ideal. I couldn’t prepare the way I normally do before a major event. ” But it wasn’t the Olympic blues that Neff had under control. No, it was above all the organizational tasks that made her almost desperate. “I received between 30 and 40 requests for events every day,” she says. “There were so many things that I couldn’t say no to – I tried, but I couldn’t.”
An avalanche rolled over Neff
Neff decided last January to re-market itself after eight years with a management team. Sponsors, media, partners – she organized everything. «I really enjoyed the first few months. First, it’s more personal when I speak to people directly. And secondly, I can also write e-mails myself, ”says Neff.
But just: since her Olympic victory she has been overrun by an avalanche. “I have to think about how things will go after the season,” she announces. It sounds like Neff is going to get help again soon. “I don’t want to overload myself, sport should continue to be in the foreground,” she says.
“How much do you earn?” Nothing!
According to Blick research, Neff has earned between CHF 300,000 and CHF 400,000 annually in recent years. For comparison: Marlen Reusser (29) should come to 50,000 francs next season thanks to her Olympic silver medal in the time trial. It is quite possible that the difference between the two will become even bigger – Neff’s Team Trek wants to make it big in the USA.
Neff doesn’t have to apologize for that. First of all, she seems to have some expenses in her sport that neither her team nor the federation cover. Second, she invested a lot in her career. Neff remembers a lecture at a talent school for footballers at the beginning of 2020: «One of them asked me: ‘How much do you earn?’ I replied: ‘Nothing at all.’ He said: ‘Why are you doing that?'”
It is not the money that drives Neff, but her passion for mountain biking. “But it’s a good sign for young drivers that you can make a living from this sport,” she says.