Sivert Guttorm Bakken, a Norwegian biathlon Olympic hopeful, passed away unexpectedly during training in Italy.
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Local media reported that the 27-year-old was found dead in his hotel room in Lavaze, in the Italian Alps, on Tuesday, Dec. 23, during a training camp.
Following the 2022 season, the athlete was diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition, and temporarily stepped away from competition, according to the Associated Press.
“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,” IBU President Olle Dahlin said in a statement via Reuters.
“His passing at such a young age is impossible to comprehend, but he will not be forgotten, and he will forever remain in our hearts.”
Before his diagnosis, Bakken competed in 31 World Cup events, achieving four first-place finishes, including one in front of a home crowd in Oslo in 2022.
Bakken secured four wins in 31 World Cup appearances and claimed the overall mass start title for the 2021-22 season, earning the small crystal globe in front of a home crowd at Holmenkollen in Oslo.Bakken was the European champion in the 10-kilometer sprint and two relays.
He was training for the Milan Olympics.
Teammate Mourns the Passing of Sivert Guttorm Bakken
Bakken’s teammates, including Sturla Holm Laegreid, have shared tributes to the determined athlete.
“You had the ability to work your way out of the worst situations,” Laegreid wrote on Instagram alongside a candid photo of himself and Bakken. “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.”