The Biathlon World Cup competition in Oberhof, Germany was marked by the memorial ceremony for Sivert Guttorm Bakken.
The compatriots ran the sprint wearing mourning bands. The competition began with the organizer paying tribute to the Norwegian with a memorial film on a large screen, followed by a minute of applause.
The ceremony at the stadium was filled with emotion and tears, as Norwegian and international biathletes stood side by side.
Tommaso Giacomel, a friend of Guttorm Bakken, was one of many who cried.
After he secured the victory, he celebrated by pointing to the sky and embracing Norwegian Johannes Dale-Skjevdal, who finished third.
Afterwards he was visibly moved.
"It's both. It's one of my best competitions, but at the same time it's one of the saddest days of my life. I won, but there's nothing to celebrate today," Giacomel tells SVT.
I think the moment we shared before the start showed that we are not just athletes, but normal people with feelings inside us.
Philipp Nawrath of Germany came second, and Sebastian Samuelsson finished fourth.
"It's clear that what happened is tragic, but it was a nice tribute. In some ways it's good that everyone is here competing and getting back to everyday life," Samuelsson tells SVT.
Sivert Guttorm Bakken was found dead in his hotel room in Lavazé, Italy, the day before Christmas Eve. He was 27 years old.
