He was 27 years old
Norwegian biathlon ace found dead in hotel room
Updated 12/23/2025 – 6:52 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
He once won the World Cup in the mass start and took part in the race in Le Grand-Bornand on Sunday. Now the Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken has died at the age of 27.
The Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken is dead. The Norwegian Biathlon Association announced this on Tuesday. The 27-year-old was found dead in a hotel room in Italy. The exact cause of death is still unknown.
“The Norwegian Biathlon Federation received confirmation today from the Italian authorities that Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken (27) from Lillehammer was found dead in his hotel room in Lavazè, Italy,” the federation said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are primarily with Sivert’s family and everyone close to him, both in Norway and abroad. We are working with the Italian authorities on site,” the statement quoted Emilie Nordskar, acting secretary general of the association. “The athletes and next of kin are being cared for by crisis teams and NF support resources. Teammates ask for privacy and calm during this difficult time,” the statement concludes.
Bakken won the 2022 Mass Start World Cup. However, his career suffered a setback in the same year when he developed myocarditis after being vaccinated against the coronavirus. He missed the following two seasons entirely. In 2024 his health improved and he initially returned to the second-tier IBU Cup, where he celebrated several victories.
For the current season, Bakken also made his World Cup comeback and has already celebrated several top 10 placements. Two weeks ago he even took fourth place in Östersund. After completing the last World Cup stop in Le Grand Bornand, France, he traveled on to Italy. He died there now.