Olympic Hopeful Sivert Guttorm Bakken, 27, Found Dead in Hotel Room During Training Camp

Sivert Guttorm Bakken, a Norwegian biathlon Olympic hopeful, died suddenly while training in Italy, authorities said.

“The International Biathlon Union (IBU) is deeply saddened to learn that Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken has passed away at the age of 27 during a training camp in Italy,” the sport’s governing body said on Tuesday, Dec. 23, according to the Associated Press.

Bakken was found dead in his hotel room in Lavaze, Italy, Norwegian television outlet NRK reported.

After the 2022 season, the athlete was diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition, and took a break from competition, the IBU confirmed.

Prior to his diagnosis, the athlete participated in 31 World Cup competitions and finished first four times, including in front of his home country in Oslo in 2022.

At the time of his death, Bakken was the reigning European champion in the 10-kilometer sprint and two relays, and was preparing to compete at the Milan Olympics.

The IBU noted that Bakken’s return to the sport was an “inspiring” story.

“The IBU is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of Sivert Bakken’s sudden death,” IBU president Olle Dahlin said. “Sivert’s comeback to biathlon after a period of great hardship was a source of immense joy for everyone in the biathlon family and an inspiring demonstration of his resilience and determination.

Bakken’s teammates, including Sturla Holm Laegreid, are sharing tributes to the resilient athlete.

“You had the ability to work your way out of the worst situations,” Laegreid wrote on Instagram. “Where everyone else would have given up, you pushed on. Sivert, you were a role model, an inspiration, with a determination that the rest of us could only dream of.”