Biathlon: success for Sivert Guttorm Bakken
His friend Tommaso Giacomel won the sprint on Thursday and the pursuit on Saturday, and the Norwegian relay won this Sunday in Oberhof ( Germany): the world biathlon circuit could hardly have paid better tribute to Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died on December 23 in his hotel room in Lavazè (Italy).
In the men’s relay, which had a crazy scenario, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen actually crossed the line in the lead despite his team-mate Johannes Dale-Skjevdal’s two-lap penalty. “It was the most exciting stint for years! I’m used to having a one-minute lead in the last stint, but there were five of us fighting it out on the last lap for three places”, he commented to the IBU.
“Sivert will always be with us
At the finish, the team’s oldest rider (33) pointed his right hand skywards to pay tribute to the deceased. It was a fitting revenge for him after finishing 64th in the sprint and failing to qualify for the pursuit. As he explained to TV2: “We’ve had our ups and downs. Personally, I was completely exhausted on Thursday. It was impossible for me to combine the commemorative ceremony with the race.
After two days without a race, Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen raised his head and dominated Eric Perrot in the final hectometres. As he explained to the IBU: “I had extra energy. There were five of us today. He continued for TV2 : “We won today for our fifth man. He’ll always be with us.
Instead of heading straight to Ruhpolding (Germany) for the next World Cup stage, the entire Norwegian team will be heading to Lillehammer (Norway) to attend the funeral of Sivert Guttorm Bakken, scheduled for Tuesday.
- The full programme for the Oberhof World Cup, the fourth stage of the 2025/2026 season
- Caroline Colombo: my best memory of… Oberhof
- Sturla Holm Lægreid and Johan-Olav Botn will not be at the start of the Oberhof World Cup due to illness
- Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer skip the Oberhof World Cup: discover the Italian selection
- Jeanne Richard instead of Paula Botet, Valentin Lejeune reappointed: the French team’s selection for the Oberhof World Cup
- Oberhof: Tommaso Giacomel dominates the sprint ahead of Philipp Nawrath and Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, flowers for Eric Perrot
- “It doesn’t pay in biathlon when you make two mistakes”: the frustration of Eric Perrot, sixth in the Oberhof sprint with a score of 8/10
- “I think Sivert would be very proud of me”: Tommaso Giacomel wins the Oberhof sprint in tribute to his friend Sivert Guttorm Bakken
- A losing bet and a “small regret” for Emilien Jacquelin, who failed to qualify for the Oberhof pursuit after his worst result for four years.
- Oberhof: Julia Simon takes third place in the sprint, victory for Elvira Oeberg
- “I’m very proud of what I’ve done”: Julia Simon’s podium finish in the Oberhof sprint launches her Olympic season in earnest.
- “I was hot”: the mistake that could have disqualified Lou Jeanmonnot in the Oberhof sprint
- Oberhof: after an entertaining race, Tommaso Giacomel wins the pursuit, Quentin Fillon-Maillet sixth
- Oberhof: Tommaso Giacomel takes the overall lead and will wear yellow in Ruhpolding, Eric Perrot third
- “I don’t think I deserved this victory”, despite a 14/20 Tommaso Giacomel dominated the pursuit at Oberhof
- “It’s something that never happens”: Eric Perrot, eighth in the Oberhof pursuit, had to deal with a broken magazine on his first standing shot.
- Oberhof: Lou Jeanmonnot, Océane Michelon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Julia Simon crush the relay ahead of Norway and Germany
- “I thought I could shoot without the strap, but it was impossible”: Anna Magnusson’s misadventure on the Oberhof relay course
- “It feels good as a team”: Les Bleues achieve near-perfection on the Oberhof relay
- Oberhof: the start list for the women’s pursuit
- “I’ve seen athletes crying from the cold”: the polar temperatures at the Arena am Rennsteig in Oberhof had an impact on the women’s relay.
- Oberhof: relive the video of the demonstration put on by the French to win the relay
- Oberhof: Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon-Maillet and Eric Perrot second in the relay won by Norway
- “Incomprehension behind the rifle”: how Emilien Jacquelin explains his failed prone shot after two penalty laps in the Oberhof relay
