He died at 27 years old
New detail circulates after biathlete’s death
12/27/2025 – 9:54 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Sivert Guttorm Bakken died shortly before Christmas under circumstances that are still not fully understood. Now there is new information about the possible cause of death.
At the time of death, Bakken was in Lavazè, Italy, at an altitude of around 1,800 meters. According to “VG”, the mask was adjusted to a different height. At an altitude of 7,000 meters the air contains less oxygen than at 1,800 meters because the air becomes “thinner” the higher you go.
Lawyer Heiberg replied to the Norwegian newspaper when asked about the altitude mask: “It is still too early to comment on it. The Italian police have routinely seized objects and equipment from the room and will investigate this further.”
Heiberg continued: “As soon as we have the police files and the report of the preliminary forensic investigation, we will comment on this, as the police investigation has already uncovered this matter.”
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 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.