The Norwegian was found lifeless in his hotel room in Passo Lavazé wearing a hypoxic mask. The family did not want to appoint an expert
There are no suspects for the death of Sivert Bakken, the athlete who died in his sleep during a pre-Olympic retreat at Passo Lavazé. The Trento Prosecutor’s Office has seized the hypoxic mask he was wearing and which can be purchased on the web at low costs. An autopsy was carried out today to establish the exact cause of death, the results of which have not yet been made public. The family has refused to appoint its own expert. Bakken, when found in his hotel room, was wearing what is also called an altitude training mask, which – by reducing the amount of oxygen – simulates altitude for training purposes. The Norwegian Federation stated in a press release that it was “currently not aware of the circumstances surrounding the acquisition and use of this mask”. The mask is not considered doping.