Sivert Guttorm Bakken back among the world’s best after long layoff

Norway’s men again showed exceptional depth at the World Cup opener despite recent high‑profile retirements—this time with Sivert Guttorm Bakken at the center. For Bakken, 20 March 2022 marked a career high when he won the Holmenkollen mass start and secured the small crystal globe for the discipline; 3 December 2025 became one of his most emotional days after a long struggle just to return to racing.

Following his 2022 breakthrough, Bakken’s progression was halted by myocarditis diagnosed after a COVID‑19 vaccination. He described severe pain and an inability to train, and even underwent heart surgery during a period when only limited shooting sessions with coach Siegfried Mazet were possible. Team doctor Ola Berger noted the rarity of his case while emphasizing vaccines’ overall benefits.

By September 2023 Bakken cautiously resumed training. Targeting the 2026 Olympics—after attending Beijing 2022 without racing—he used the 2024/25 IBU Cup to regain competitive sharpness: an international return in Idre Fjäll on 28 November 2024, a sprint podium in Obertilliach less than three weeks later, and the European sprint title in Italy at the end of January.

His form earned re‑selection to Norway’s World Cup team for 2025/26. In Östersund he did not start in the relays but impressed in individual races: 4th in the taxing 20 km individual, 7th in the sprint, and 9th in the pursuit—three top‑10 finishes that confirm he can again contend at the highest level. Despite internal competition from Sturla Holm Lægreid, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, Martin Uldal, and current sensation Johan‑Olav Botn, Bakken now has a realistic shot at fulfilling his dream of competing at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympics.

The article also references wider biathlon news around the opener, including German absences (Franziska Preuß and Selina Grotian in Hochfilzen) and Julia Simon’s return, as well as the ongoing CAS case involving Russian biathletes’ Olympic qualification.