Turning Point for Winter Sports as Preem Ends Vasaloppet Sponsorship

After 17 years of partnership, Vasaloppet, one of the world's most prestigious cross-country ski races, and the oil company Preem have officially parted ways. The decision, confirmed on Vasaloppet’s website earlier today, marks the end of a collaboration that had drawn growing criticism from athletes and environmental advocates. Preem has chosen not to renew the agreement, signaling a shift in the discussion around fossil fuel sponsorship in winter sports.

Vasaloppet is not just any race — it is a cultural institution in Sweden and across Scandinavia. Each year, tens of thousands of skiers, from elite athletes to weekend enthusiasts, take on the grueling 90-kilometer course from Sälen to Mora. The event has been a highlight of Scandinavian winters for nearly a century, making its sponsorships especially visible and influential.

“It’s about time that Vasaloppet and Preem end their partnership. This is a major victory for everyone who has fought to stop winter sports from advertising for oil companies,” said Anna Jonsson, New Weather Sweden. “It’s bizarre that winter sports are still running ads that contribute to the climate crisis.”

The move follows months of mounting public pressure. A spring 2025 Novus opinion poll revealed that a majority of Swedes wanted Vasaloppet to stop advertising for Preem. More than fifty elite skiers joined in an op-ed in Aftonbladet, urging the race organizers to sever ties with the oil company.

“That Vasaloppet and Preem are now ending their sponsorship agreement is just the beginning. More in winter sports will follow — it is completely unreasonable to run fossil fuel advertising that contributes to melting the snow that winter sports depend on.”

The end of the sponsorship is seen as a symbolic turning point. Advocates say it sends a clear message across winter sports: fossil fuel sponsorship has no place in events that rely on the very environment such industries threaten.

This decision not only reflects the public’s growing concern about climate change but also underscores the evolving responsibility of iconic sports institutions in shaping sustainable practices.