ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 12 (Reuters) - When Norway's Johan-Olav Botn crossed the line to win Olympic gold in the men's 20km individual race on Tuesday, he did so with an emotionalcry of "Sivert, we did it!" in honour of Sivert Guttorm Bakken, the friend and former teammate he found dead in their hotel weeks before the Games.
Botn said on Thursday that Bakken's mother had messaged him to congratulate the team on their achievements in the race, in which Sturla Holm Laegreid took bronze for Norway before both men paid tribute to Bakken.
"I received a message from Sivert's mother. She didn't watch the race, but she had heard what happened and really appreciated everything that was said and done," Botn told Norwegian newspaper VG.
"And that means a lot. It's first and foremost the people you think of when all of this has happened."
The close-knit biathlon world was stunned by the death of 27-year-oldBakken, who had returned to the sport after a diagnosis of a heart condition in 2024, and was found dead by Botn in his hotel room in Lavaze, Italy on December 23, wearing a mask aimed at simulating high-altitude conditions to potentially improve endurance.
"I was just looking up in the sky and hoping that he (Bakken) was watching, and hoping that he was proud of me," Botn said.
"Being able to give a little joy back means a lot to me. It's the family, they're the ones you think about the most all the time, so it means a lot."
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond)
