Norwegian biathlete Johan-Olav Botn will miss the men’s World Cup races in Ruhpolding, Germany this week, the Norwegian federation told broadcasters NRK ahead of the start of the event on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old had already missed the races in Germany’s Oberhof the week before due health reasons and lost the lead in the overall standings to Italy’s Tommaso Giacomel.
Botn had initially been named to the squad for the event in Ruhpolding.
“Until the very end, it was a 50/50 decision whether I would race or not. But my main goal from the start was the Olympic Games. I’m trying to prepare for it as best as I can,” the biathlete told NRK.
On Tuesday, Botn and the entire Norwegian men’s team attended the funeral of Sivert Guttorm Bakken in Lillehammer. Botn found his friend and team-mate dead in his hotel room in Italy, on December 23.
The circumstances surrounding Bakken’s death, who was wearing a mask used for altitude training when he was found, remain unclear. The results of the autopsy are expected to be available by March.
