Overview
- Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, 27, was found dead in a hotel room at Passo di Lavazè in Italy while wearing a commercially available altitude training mask.
- Italian police and forensic teams have opened an investigation, with an autopsy scheduled in Trento to determine the sequence of events and cause of death.
- The Norwegian Biathlon Federation says it does not know how Bakken acquired or used the mask and will await official findings before commenting further.
- Bakken previously paused his career due to pericarditis/myocarditis in 2023 and had recently returned to World Cup competition.
- Researchers report modest or negligible performance gains from such masks, increased discomfort and perceived effort, and higher heart rate during recovery, even as inexpensive models are widely sold online and marketed to simulate extreme altitudes.