Colleague mourns biathlon star Bakken
“We wanted to go skiing today, but you didn’t come”
12/24/2025 – 1:26 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken died completely unexpectedly. One colleague in particular is in shock. He actually had an appointment with the Norwegian.
There is great sadness for the Norwegian biathlon star Sivert Guttorm Bakken. The three-time European champion was found dead in his hotel room the day before Christmas Eve. He was only 27 years old. The background remains unclear.
However, one thing is certain: the biathlon world is in shock at the death of the young athlete. The Italian Tommaso Giacomel made a particularly heartbreaking post via Instagram. Accordingly, he and Bakken had actually agreed to go skiing on the day of his death, but the Norwegian never showed up.
“Dear Sivert… honestly I’m devastated,” wrote Giacomel on a shared photo. But he knows that the news shocked not only him, but the entire biathlon family and people beyond.
“We wanted to go skiing together today, but you didn’t come. We also planned to celebrate New Year’s Eve together, but you won’t be there,” the 25-year-old continued. “Life was hard enough for you when it stopped you for a while more than two years ago.” At that time, Bakken was suffering from myocarditis, which cost him two World Cup seasons. “And now this,” wrote Giacomel and added in capital letters: “That’s not fair!!”
The native of South Tyrol emphasized that Bakken had become one of his best friends in the biathlon circus. The Scandinavian will always have a special place in his heart. Training and competing without Bakken will be difficult in the future, said Giacomel. “But I’ll try my best to make you proud.”
He wants to continue pursuing the shared dream of being two of the best biathletes in the world with Bakken despite his death. Giacomel concluded his post with the words: “Fly high like an angel now, because that’s what you really are!!”