“No results”
Bakken family has to wait for cause of death despite autopsy
December 30, 2025 – 6:13 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The death of biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken still raises questions. Despite the autopsy, the family must continue to wait for answers.
In the case of the deceased Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, results on the cause of death are expected in March at the latest. The family’s law firm said this on Tuesday. “We were hoping that the family would receive some answers, but these will not come for a few months,” an official statement said.
The 27-year-old Bakken was found dead in his hotel room in Lavazè, Italy, on December 23rd. He was there for training with other teammates. Bakken was wearing an altitude training mask when he was found. However, investigators have not yet been able to confirm a connection.
Forensic examinations were carried out last weekend, it said, but “no results are available so far.” The investigations are expected to continue early next year. Accordingly, the Italian authorities have given the forensic experts working on the case until March 7th. Until then, it remains unclear whether the altitude mask used by Bakken could have led to death.
The body of the deceased biathlete will be transported to Norway in the coming days and buried there. It is not yet clear when and where the funeral will take place.
Bakken was once considered a great talent. He made his World Cup debut in March 2022. In the same year he also achieved a World Cup victory. But shortly afterwards a health setback caught up with him; he suffered from myocarditis after his third corona vaccination. He only made his comeback in the 2024/25 season, where he achieved several podium finishes. This winter, Bakken also returned to the World Cup squad and achieved several top ten finishes.
The family law firm condemned speculation that Bakken’s death was due to his medical history. This is “painful” for those around him. At the same time, the lawyers asked to refrain from making any assumptions about the use of the altitude training mask.