Overview
- Bakken, 27, was discovered in his room at Passo Lavazè wearing an elevation training mask, according to the Norwegian biathlon federation.
- The federation said it does not know how the mask was obtained or used and described the situation as raising many unanswered questions.
- Italian police have opened an investigation, and the autopsy will be conducted in Italy during the holiday period.
- Elevation training masks restrict oxygen to simulate altitude; studies report modest performance effects alongside increased discomfort and higher recovery heart rate.
- Under WADA-aligned rules in Italy, hypoxic devices are legal and not treated as doping, and no causal link to Bakken’s death has been established.