Biathlon Union: “Many unanswered questions” • Biathlon found dead in hotel room
Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken was found dead in his hotel room yesterday.
According to the Norwegian Biathlon Union, he was wearing an altitude mask when he was found.
– This is a tragic situation with many unanswered questions, says Emilie Nordskar at the association.
On Tuesday, the Norwegian Biathlon Union announced that 27-year-old biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken was found dead in his hotel room in Italian Lavaze during the morning.
During Wednesday, the union stated that they received more information about the death, and that they will continue to clarify the circumstances in the coming days. Bakken must have been wearing an altitude mask when he was found, they say.
“When Sivert Bakken was found dead, he was wearing an altitude mask. The Norwegian Biathlon Union currently does not know the circumstances surrounding the acquisition and use of this mask,” they write.
Autopsy during the Christmas holiday
Emilie Nordskar, Acting General Secretary of the Norwegian Biathlon Union, says in a press release that there are still many “unanswered questions”.
– Our thoughts go first and foremost to Sivert’s family and close friends, who are now in a very demanding period in the middle of a holiday. We understand the media’s need for information, while at the same time it is crucial that the police and forensics technicians on site can carry out their work in peace and quiet, and can arrive at concrete answers, she says.
An autopsy to determine the cause of death will be done during the Christmas holiday on site in Italy, the association states.
Kris team aware
On Tuesday, the association announced that a crisis team had been deployed to support the family and teammates of Sivert Guttorm Bakken. Now they state that contact between Italian police and next of kin has also been established, and that the athletes affected by the death are being monitored by their own support resources.
Sivert Guttorm Bakken joined the Norwegian national biathlon team after winning the final mass start of the World Cup season 2021-2022.
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