Norwegian biathlon star Sivert Guttorm Bakken, a rising contender for the Winter Olympics and one of the sport’s most resilient figures, was found dead in his hotel room in northern Italy, stunning the biathlon world and leaving teammates, officials, and fans struggling to process the loss.
Italian authorities are investigating the death. No cause has yet been determined.
Found during high-altitude preparations in Lavazè
Bakken, 27, had traveled to Lavazè, Italy, to take part in a high-altitude training camp, a routine part of preparation for elite biathletes during the World Cup season.
The Norwegian Biathlon Association confirmed that Bakken was discovered in his hotel room and said the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Italian authorities notified the International Biathlon Union, which then relayed the news to the global biathlon community.
The announcement spread quickly through the sport, landing like a shockwave just days before Christmas.
Bakken had competed only days earlier.
A season that had put him back among the elite
At the time of his death, Bakken was ranked 13th in the overall standings of the Biathlon World Cup this season. He had recently raced at Le Grand-Bornand in France, a demanding stop on the circuit, and appeared to be regaining momentum.
For those who followed his career closely, this mattered deeply.
Only a few years ago, Bakken’s future in the sport looked uncertain.
After a breakthrough 2021–2022 season, his career was interrupted by serious heart problems that forced him away from competition. The recovery was long, physically and mentally. Many athletes never return from that kind of setback.
Bakken did.
“He came back when most people wouldn’t,” one former coach said privately. “That was who he was.”
A defining victory in Oslo
Bakken’s name entered biathlon history in 2022, when he claimed his first World Cup victory in the 15-kilometer mass start at Holmenkollen in Oslo.
The setting could not have been more symbolic. Holmenkollen is sacred ground in Norwegian winter sports, and winning there marks an athlete as something special.
The victory came during what many consider the peak of his career. It also made the subsequent health problems even harder to accept.
For Bakken, stepping away from competition was not a choice. It was a necessity.
Friends say he struggled with the sudden silence that followed. Training schedules vanished. Races stopped. Identity blurred.
Still, he worked his way back.
Tributes pour in from across the biathlon world
The reaction from the sport’s leadership was immediate and emotional.
Olle Dahlin, president of the International Biathlon Union, said the organization was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news.
“Sivert’s comeback to biathlon after a period of great hardship was a source of immense joy for everyone in the biathlon family,” Dahlin said. “It was a clear demonstration of resilience and determination.”
Those words echoed what many felt. Bakken wasn’t just admired for results. He was respected for persistence.
Teammates shared their grief publicly, struggling to find language strong enough to match the loss.
Remembered as relentless, even in pain
Among the most personal tributes came from fellow Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid, who wrote about Bakken on Instagram.
“You were one of the toughest,” Lægreid said. “Where everyone else would have given up, you pushed on. You were a role model. An inspiration.”
That toughness defined Bakken’s reputation within the team. Coaches often spoke of his work ethic. Teammates talked about how he trained when others rested.
There was no drama in it. Just consistency.
“He didn’t complain,” one teammate recalled. “He just did the work.”
Heart issues that reshaped a career
Bakken’s earlier heart condition remains part of the conversation surrounding his death, though no official link has been made. Authorities have stressed that speculation is premature.
What is known is that his health struggles forced him to rethink how he trained, how he raced, and how he managed recovery.
Doctors cleared him to return only after extensive monitoring. The comeback took time. Progress came in small steps.
By late 2025, though, Bakken was again part of Norway’s World Cup lineup, racing among the world’s best and showing flashes of his old form.
For many observers, it felt like the beginning of a second chapter.
That chapter ended far too soon.
A loss that cuts beyond results
In biathlon, where athletes often spend months together on the road, relationships run deep. Training camps, long winters, shared pressure. Losses are felt collectively.
Bakken’s death leaves a gap not just in start lists, but in locker rooms, wax cabins, and quiet moments between races.
Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that Bakken had arrived in Lavazè in good spirits, focused on altitude work and the demanding weeks ahead.
There were plans. Goals. A calendar full of races.
Now there is silence instead.
The wider shadow over winter sports
Bakken’s passing also comes amid broader conversations in elite sport about health, monitoring, and the limits of the human body under extreme physical demand.
Biathlon, combining endurance skiing with precision shooting, places enormous strain on athletes. High-altitude training amplifies that stress.
Officials emphasize that such camps are routine and closely supervised, but the shock of Bakken’s death inevitably raises questions.
For now, governing bodies say their focus is on supporting family and teammates.
“He will not be forgotten”
In his statement, Dahlin captured the sentiment felt across the biathlon world.
“His passing at such a young age is impossible to comprehend,” he said. “He will not be forgotten.”
For Norway, a nation where winter athletes are woven into the cultural fabric, Bakken’s death resonates deeply.
For the sport itself, it is a reminder that behind results and rankings are lives shaped by effort, sacrifice, and hope.
Sivert Guttorm Bakken was chasing another Olympic dream. He leaves behind a legacy defined less by medals than by perseverance.
