After the tragic death of the Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, another Norwegian gets his starting place.
The national team manager confirms to NRK that Isak Leknes Frey has been brought in for the World Cup race in Oberhof. He was initially selected for the IBU Cup in Arber.
– The whole situation is completely cruel. I thought for a long time whether I wanted to take Sivert’s place or not, and I came to the conclusion that the best way to honor him is to go to Oberhof, says Frey to NRK.
– If there is one man who wanted the space to be used, it was Sivert. He loved biathlon, the top sport and professionalism, so the best thing would be to carry these thoughts forward and at the same time pay tribute to him.
Bakken was found dead in his hotel room in Lavazè on 23 December. The cause of death is still unknown. On Tuesday, it became clear that the prosecutor’s office in Italy has given the coroners a deadline of March 7 to complete their investigations and submit their report.
– He will enter a place that was, in a way, Sivert’s, but I hope it can be an honor to wear Sivert’s starting number. Sivert was probably the person who least wanted that place to be empty, says national team manager Per Arne Botnan.
Frey was initially supposed to go to the IBU Cup in Arber, the level below the World Cup. Earlier this year he went to Østersund, Hochfilzen and Le Grand-Bornand.