The Norwegian Olympic Committee has decided to toughen its recommendations regarding masks that simulate oxygen conditions at altitude. Biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken was wearing one when he was found dead on Tuesday, at the age of 27.
In a press release, the committee announced that it “recommends against the use of simulated altitude for athletes who may use it”. This resolution is taken “pending established facts regarding the matter related to the tragic death”.
Norwegian committee recommends caution
Masks of this type allow you to simulate oxygen conditions at altitude and therefore prepare your body for competition. The ban on using this method was lifted in 2021 by Norway.
For the moment, no proven link has been established between the death of Sivert Guttorm Bakken and the presence of a mask on his face. But, as a precaution, the Norwegian Olympic committee prefers to strengthen its recommendations while waiting to know more.
Found dead in his hotel room in Italy, the biathlete received numerous tributes. He resumed his career in 2024 after almost two years of break due to health concerns.
“You were back at the top of the podium, at the top of the highest mountains in Norway and at the top of your life,” his compatriot Vetle Christiansen wrote on Instagram. The more you practiced, the more you smiled. You were the epitome of dedication. »
