Sivert Guttorm Bakken
Former Norwegian Biathlon World Cup winner found dead at 27
The Norwegian world-class biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken was found dead in Italy. The 27-year-old had just celebrated his comeback after a long illness.
Mourning in the biathlon world: Sivert Guttorm Bakken is dead. This is reported by the Norwegian broadcaster NRK, citing the national biathlon association on his website. Accordingly, Bakken was in a training camp with other athletes in the northern Italian region of Trentino. As the station reports, the 27-year-old was found dead in his hotel room on Tuesday. Further background information and the cause of death are currently unknown. Investigators are now trying to find out what happened.
Bakken celebrated his first and only individual World Cup victory in Biathlon at Holmenkollen in 2022. In the same season he won the Mass Start Cup. Bakken was considered the next big talent in the Norwegian biathlon scene, which is not exactly short on successes. Then health problems suddenly slowed down the young ski hunter’s career. After being vaccinated against Covid-19, he was diagnosed with myocarditis, and as a result Bakken even had to have heart surgery.
Sivert Guttorm Bakken had only just returned to the top biathlon circles
At the end of 2023, he was able to gradually get back into the sport and slowly increase the intensity. According to “Sportschau”, he only became part of the Norwegian World Cup team again this winter. Bakken’s big goal: The Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026. Most recently he competed at the World Cup in Le Grand Bornand and, among other things, took fifth place in the sprint.
After his death, Norway’s biathlon family is in shock. “Sivert was a fantastic athlete and a wonderful person who was deeply loved by the entire biathlon community. It is a heavy blow for everyone in the biathlon family,” the federation’s acting secretary general, Emilie Nordskar, is quoted as saying in the NRK report.
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) also commented on Bakken’s death: “The IBU is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of the sudden death of Sivert Bakken,” said IBU President Olle Dahlin: “His death at such a young age is unbelievable, but he will not be forgotten and will remain in our hearts forever.”
“Sivert’s comeback in biathlon after a period of great difficulty was a source of great joy for everyone in the biathlon family and an inspiring testament to his resilience and determination,” said Dahlin: “The IBU’s thoughts are with Sivert’s family and friends, his team and all members of the Norwegian biathlon family during this difficult time.”
Teammate Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen expressed his dismay on Instagram: “You were back!! At the top of the range, at the top of Norway’s highest mountains and at the top of life. The more you trained, the broader your gaze was. You were the facade of devotion. Rest in peace now.”
Sources: NRK, “Sportschau”, National Biathlon Association of Norway, news agencies DPA and SID
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