Biathlon
Teammate’s anger after Bakken’s death: “Anti‑vaxxers are exploiting this”
December 29, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norwegian biathlete Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen condemned speculation surrounding the sudden death of teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, saying people without knowledge are pushing narratives about COVID vaccines and altitude-simulation masks. Bakken, 27, was found dead in an Italian hotel room on December 23; a preliminary autopsy report is expected soon. The Norwegian federation has said he was found wearing a high‑altitude mask, and Bakken previously experienced heart issues after COVID vaccination, details that have fueled misinformation online.
Biathlon: Sochi relay to receive Olympic gold at the 2026 Games
December 28, 2025 / Sportschau
Germany’s men’s biathlon relay from Sochi 2014 will finally receive their reallocated Olympic gold medals during the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Arnd Peiffer confirmed on ARD that he, Erik Lesser, Daniel Böhm and Simon Schempp will be honored in Antholz following the final legal decisions that stripped Russia’s team of gold due to Evgeny Ustyugov’s doping case. Austria is upgraded from bronze to silver, and Norway moves up to bronze; only Austria’s Simon Eder remains active in the World Cup.
Shocking details about Sivert Guttorm Bakken’s death — coach Reijo Jylhä explains the Finns’ training methods and how they differ
December 28, 2025 / Yle
Finnish national team coach Reijo Jylhä reacts to reports that biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken was found with a high‑altitude simulation mask allegedly set to 7,000 m while already staying at 1,800 m in Lavazè, Italy. Jylhä stresses Finnish skiers do not use such oxygen‑restriction masks, outlining past Finnish practices such as supplemental oxygen at altitude, respiratory‑resistance masks, altitude rooms and ‘alpine houses,’ and earlier ‘smoke‑box’ style devices from the late 1980s–90s. Norway’s Olympiatoppen has advised athletes to avoid artificial altitude training pending clarification, and experts note no confirmed causal link between the mask and Bakken’s death.
Strelow and Hettich-Walz win “Biathlon auf Schalke” World Team Challenge
December 28, 2025 / Sportschau (ARD)
Germany’s Justus Strelow and Janina Hettich‑Walz won the exhibition World Team Challenge in Gelsenkirchen, securing victories in both the mass start and the pursuit before 40,000 fans. They beat France’s Lou Jeanmonnot and Fabien Claude, with Norway’s Juni Arnekleiv and Mats Øverby third. The article highlights Strelow’s near-perfect shooting, Hettich‑Walz’s strong pursuit, and the Norwegian pair’s tribute to the late Sivert Bakken.
Biathlon: Juni Arnekleiv will race to honor the late Sivert Guttorm Bakken
December 27, 2025 / NRK Sport
Norwegian biathlete Juni Arnekleiv says she will start at the Schalke show race to honor Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died on Christmas Eve while at altitude training in Lavazè, Italy. The Norwegian federation has added support staff and coordinated with organizers, who will hold a minute’s silence in Bakken’s memory. World Cup racing resumes in Oberhof on 8 January, while an autopsy will be conducted in Italy; the cause of death remains unknown.
Norwegian biathlete Bakken was wearing a hypoxic mask when he died in Trentino
December 25, 2025 / La Gazzetta dello Sport
The Norwegian Biathlon Federation said 27-year-old Sivert Guttorm Bakken was found dead in a hotel room at Passo di Lavazè, Trentino, while wearing a hypoxic training mask that restricts oxygen intake. Authorities will conduct an autopsy in Italy, and the federation noted the circumstances of the device’s acquisition and use are unknown. Bakken had previously paused his career in 2023 due to pericarditis but had recently returned to World Cup competition.
Christmas with kisses, cooking and... the Grinch: Italy's biathletes under the tree
December 23, 2025 / La Gazzetta dello Sport (gazzetta.it)
Short human-interest piece on how Italy's World Cup biathletes are spending the Christmas break after a busy competition period. The article quotes athletes (Tommaso Giacomel, Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer) about family time, gifts and rest before the World Cup resumes in Oberhof on 8 January.
Three U.S. biathletes named to 2026 Olympic team after Annecy WC3
December 23, 2025 / Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Margie Freed, Maxime Germain and Deedra Irwin have been objectively selected to the U.S. Biathlon team for the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics following World Cup 3 in Annecy‑Le Grand‑Bornand. They join dual citizen Campbell Wright, who prequalified earlier this year after winning two World Championship silver medals. The final U.S. Olympic biathlon roster—adding one objective and one discretionary pick per gender—will be completed Jan. 6 after timed trials in Antholz, pending USOPC approval.
Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken dies at 27
December 23, 2025 / Sveriges Radio – Radiosporten
Norway’s biathlon federation announced that Sivert Guttorm Bakken has died at the age of 27. He was found in his hotel room in Lavazè, Italy; the cause of death is not yet known. Bakken competed in the World Cup in Annecy just last week, finishing fifth in the sprint, and was remembered by the federation’s acting secretary‑general Emilie Nordskar as a highly admired athlete and person.
Biathlon: Norwegian national-team athlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken dies after a sudden illness while on vacation in Trentino
December 23, 2025 / La Gazzetta dello Sport
Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, 27, was found dead in his hotel room at Passo Lavazè (Trentino) while on a short rest period with national teammates. A four-time World Cup race winner in 2021–22, he had paused his career in 2023 due to pericarditis and recently returned to the World Cup. The Norwegian federation expressed condolences and pledged cooperation with Italian authorities investigating the cause of death.
Giacomel stuns the field: wins the men’s mass start in Le Grand-Bornand
December 21, 2025 / La Gazzetta dello Sport
Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel dominated the IBU World Cup mass start in Le Grand-Bornand, finishing ahead of France’s Éric Perrot and Norway’s Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen. In the women’s race, Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide took the win, with Italy’s Rebecca Passler 11th and Dorothea Wierer struggling to 27th as Lisa Vittozzi was ill. Giacomel called the victory “fantastic,” saying he could hardly believe it.
Biathlon mass start in Annecy: Preuß, Voigt and Weidel charge into the top 10
December 21, 2025 / Sportschau
Franziska Preuß (6th), Vanessa Voigt (7th) and Anna Weidel (10th) all finished in the top ten in the women’s 12.5 km mass start at the Biathlon World Cup in Annecy–Le Grand-Bornand. Preuß, recently recovered from illness, secured her Olympic qualification with the result. The win was decided in a sprint, with Norway’s Maren Kirkeeide edging France’s Lou Jeanmonnot and Justine Braisaz‑Bouchet.