Teammates Skip World Cup Following Bakken's Death in Italy

Johan-Olav Botn will skip the Ruhpolding World Cup to attend Sivert Guttorm Bakken's funeral in Lillehammer following the athlete's death in Italy.Bakken was discovered in late December with an altitude mask set to 7,000 meters, leading to a planned tribute during the upcoming competition in Oberhof.Teammate Johannes Dale described the loss as a surreal tragedy as the family requested privacy for the memorial service scheduled for January 13.