Botten Dedicates Gold Medal to Teammate in Heaven... 'Tears of Emotion'

Men's 20 km biathlon champion at the Winter Olympics
In December last year, Bakken was found dead at a training accommodation
"It felt as if I was skiing together with him"

This medal is even more meaningful.

Norway's Johanolav Botten won the men's 20 km individual biathlon at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. At the men's 20 km individual event held on the 10th (local time) at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena in Italy, he captured the gold medal with a time of 51 minutes 31.5 seconds. Born in 1999, Botten hung a gold medal around his neck at his very first Olympic Games.

Botn Yohanolav is celebrating by stretching his arms toward the sky after being the first to cross the finish line in the men's 20 km individual biathlon at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. South Tyrol (Italy) = Reuters-Yonhap

It was a perfect race. Ranked second this season in the International Biathlon Union (IBU) individual standings, he hit all 20 of his shots. He beat second-place Eric Perrot of France (51 minutes 46.3 seconds) by as much as 14.8 seconds.

After crossing the finish line with the best time, Botten celebrated by stretching his arms toward the sky. It was a tribute to Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who suddenly passed away last December.

Bakken, born in 1998, was found dead at a training accommodation in Ravaze, Italy. The Norwegian athletes prepared for these Olympics amid great shock and grief. Botten even shed tears after the race. He said, "The last lap was a very emotional moment. It felt as if I was skiing together with him (Bakken)," adding, "I hope he watched this race and felt proud of me."

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