SBR expressed condolences to the family and friends of the Bakken biathlete

President of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) Viktor Maigurov, in a conversation with Match TV, expressed condolences to the family and friends of Siewert Bakken.

On Tuesday, the Norwegian Biathlon Association said Bakken was found dead in a hotel room in Italy. The cause of death of the 27-year-old biathlete is unknown.

– I found out about this only now. On behalf of the RBU, I express my condolences to the athlete’s family and friends. I don’t know what the diagnosis and cause of death are. But if we talk about our athletes, they undergo the UMO twice a year. And not everyone is immediately allowed to train and compete. Therefore, the question is very serious. It is necessary to treat health with full responsibility – both on the part of doctors and on the part of the athletes themselves. Monitor the indications so that such cases do not occur or are as few as possible. But, as you can see, it is impossible to foresee everything 100%, and doctors may not see everything. Unfortunately, such things happen in life, especially since athletes with enormous physical exertion are more susceptible to this story,” Maigurov told Match TV.

Bakken was a two-time Youth Olympic Games winner, three-time European champion and multiple World Cup medalist.