The competition at the Veltins-Arena (formerly Arena AufSchalke) in Gelsenkirchen is one of Europe’s most modern with a retractable roof and 50,000 spectators are expected to follow the competition.
A minute’s silence for Bakken will begin the competition, which will be special for the Norwegian couple Juni Arnekleiv and Mats Överby.
Arnekleiv and Bakken were a couple and lived together until last year.
“We want to honor and remember the committed and fantastic person he was. This is also what Sivert would have wanted,” writes Arnekleiv in an SMS to NRK.
Arnekleiv first Norwegian activist to speak out
Arnekleiv is the first Norwegian active biathlete to speak to the media and she processes the unimaginable day by day. The Norwegian Biathlon Union has sent two extra people down as support during the competition.
“It has been a very different and sad Christmas after we received the news that Sivert was found dead in his room in Lavazè. It is a shocking news that I still cannot understand,” writes Arnekleiv.
There were thoughts of standing above the competition.
“We considered giving up Schalke, but we agreed that Sivert was someone who never gave up and who always did what he could to get good ski races,” according to Arnekleiv.
The World Cup restarts in Oberhof on January 8.
