After the tragic death of Sivert Bakken, the Norwegian Biathlon Federation is considering changing its preparation plan for the Olympic Games in February. The last training camp before the Olympics was planned at the very place where Bakken lost his life.
The Norwegian biathlon stars may have to deal with a different preparation in the run-up to the Olympic Games. After the death of Sivert Bakken, those responsible are toying with the idea of moving the training camp that was actually planned in Lavazè at short notice.
The original plan was for all Olympic participants to travel to Lavazè after the World Cup in Ruhpolding and begin their preparation there. Those who had already qualified would have skipped the World Cup week in Nove Mesto. However, Bakken’s death in Lavazè has raised concerns about this plan.
Biathlon Association has not yet made a decision
“This is an issue that we are working on. It is only normal that we look at it as a whole team,” Norway’s biathlon boss Emilie Norskar told TV2. According to those responsible, no decision has been made in this regard yet.
Team manager Per Arne Botnan also explained: “We talked to the athletes about whether we would go there [nach Lavazè] What he also noted: Such a short-term change is not easy to implement. Just finding a hotel for the entire team is difficult. There are still some options, but how feasible these are in the short time frame remains to be seen.
Bjørndalen: Lavazè was a good place for Norway
According to legend Ole Einar Bjørndalen, in the end it only plays a small role whether the preparation takes place at an altitude of 1800 meters (Lavazè), 1400 or even 2200 meters. “The difference is not that big, but they have had great success in recent years with Lavazè as a preparation site,” he said.
However, he also knows that Bakken’s death has left deep marks within the team. “The mental aspect is very important. That’s why it’s good that they’re talking about it.”