After the death of Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, the Norwegian Biathlon Federation and Bakken’s family contacted a law firm. This should accompany the case until it is clarified, as lawyer Bernt Heiberg told the Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.
“This is a regular mandate in which we act as a liaison between the Italian authorities and the surviving relatives, as well as assisting with the practical procedures related to the transfer of the deceased to Norway“Heiberg said.
More news after autopsy
He emphasized “expressly“that there is no basis for believing that”that a criminal offense” is available. His colleague Oline Bredeli is on site in Italy to monitor the events there. The law firm also announced that it is not expected that the media will receive any further information until the preliminary autopsy report is available at the beginning of next week.
Bakken, 27, was found dead in his hotel room in Lavazè, Italy, on December 23rd. He was there for training with other teammates. As the Norwegian Biathlon Federation announced, Bakken was wearing an altitude training mask when he was found.
Bakken was recently back among the world’s best
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. It wasn’t until the 2024/25 season that he made his comeback in the IBU Cup, where he achieved several podium finishes.
This winter, Bakken also returned to the World Cup squad and achieved several top ten finishes. He most recently came fifth in the last sprint race of the year in Le Grand-Bornand, France, on December 19th and was also nominated for the World Cup in Oberhof from January 8th.