The performance-enhancing altitude mask that Olympic hopeful Sivert Guttorm Bakken was wearing when he was found dead this week “is not part of the Norwegian Biathlon Association’s organized training programs,” the federation said Friday.
Bakken, 27, was found dead in his hotel room in the Alpine town of Lavaze in the Trentino region of Italy on Tuesday.
He was located at high altitude, with the Lavaze Pass measuring 1,808 meters (nearly 6,000 feet) in elevation.
The fact Bakken was wearing a device aimed at simulating high-altitude conditions, which can potentially improve endurance, has raised concerns — especially since Bakken was diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition, in 2022 and sat out two seasons.
“The use of such equipment is not part of the Norwegian Biathlon Association’s organized training programs. However, we are aware that a few individual athletes have acquired such equipment. Any use must be in line with the guidelines of the Olympic Council. Such use is not in conflict with the Norwegian sports regulations,” the federation said in a statement, adding that it banned the use of such masks immediately after Bakken’s death “until further notice.”
Bakken was the reigning European champion in the 10-kilometer sprint and two relays and was preparing to compete in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. He had one individual World Cup victory and three in relays.
He competed as recently as last Sunday in Annecy, France, finishing 20th in a 15-kilometer mass start event. A day earlier, he finished 18th in a 12.5-kilometer pursuit.
“There are currently many rumors and unconfirmed information related to Bakken’s death. Only when we have received a report from the police and forensic authorities in Italy will we be able to comment on what probably happened and the probable cause of death. This will probably not happen until next week,” said Bernt Heiberg, a lawyer employed by the federation.
“We emphasize that although it has been reported that the deceased was wearing an altitude mask when he was found, there is currently no confirmed information about what role this may have played in the death,” Heiberg added, “We would again urge caution in discussing details related to the death that have not been confirmed by the Italian police at this time.”
An autopsy on Bakken was due to be performed in Italy before his body can be brought home for a funeral.
Norway is the dominant force in biathlon. Its athletes won six golds and 14 medals in the sport at the last Winter Olympics in Beijing nearly four years ago — twice as many second-ranked France in both categories.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
FILE - Sivert Guttorm Bakken of Norway compete during the mixed relay race at the Biathlon World Cup in Otepaa, Estonia, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)
FILE - Sivert Guttorm Bakken of Norway competes during the mixed relay race at the Biathlon World Cup in Otepaa, Estonia, March. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)
FILE - Sivert Guttorm Bakken of Norway competes during the men's 15km mass start race at the biathlon World Cup in Anterselva, Italy, Jan. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The shopping rush leading up to Christmas is over and in its place, like every year, another has begun as millions of people hunt for post-holiday deals and get in line to return gifts that didn't fit, or didn't hit quite right.
Holiday spending using cash or cards through Sunday has topped last year's haul, according to data released this week by Visa's Consulting & Analytics division and Mastercard SpendingPulse.
But growing unease over the U.S. economy and higher prices in part due to President Donald Trump's tariffs have altered the behavior of some Americans. More are hitting thrift stores or other discounters in place of malls, according to data from Placer.ai. The firm tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.
And they're sticking more closely to shopping lists and doing more research before buying. That may explain why returns so far are down compared with last year, according to data from Adobe Analytics.
Here are three trends that defined the holiday shopping season so far:
Americans are still spending on gifts, yet increasingly that shopping is taking place at thrift and discount stores, according to data from Placer.ai.
That's likely forcing traditional retailers such as department stores to fight harder for customers, Placer.ai said.
Clothing and electronics that traditionally dominate holiday sales did have a surge but struggled to grow, according to Placer.ai. Both goods are dominated by imports and thus, vulnerable to tariffs.
For example, traffic doubled in department stores during the week before Christmas, from Dec. 15 through Sunday, compared with the average shopping week this year. But traffic in the week before Christmas this year fell 13.2% compared with 2024.
Traffic surged 61% at traditional sellers of only clothing in the week before the holiday compared with the rest of the year. But again, compared with the runup to Christmas last year, sales slid 9%.
Some of that lost traffic may have migrated to the so-called off-price stores— chains like TJ Maxx. That sector had a sharp seasonal traffic bump of 85.1% and a gain of 1.2% in the week before the holiday.
But it was thrift stores that were red hot, with traffic jumping nearly 11% in the week before Christmas compared with last year.
“Whether hunting for a designer deal or uncovering a one-of-a-kind vintage piece, consumers increasingly favored discovery-driven experiences over the standardized assortments of traditional retail,” Shira Petrack, head of content at Placer.ai, said in a blog post Friday.
In the past it may have seemed gauche to gift your mother a gently used sweater or a pair of pants from a local thrift store, but seemingly not so amid all of the economic uncertainty and rising prices, according to Placer.ai.
Through the second half of 2025, thrift stores have seen at least a 10% increases in traffic compared with last year. That suggests that environmental concerns as well as economic issues are luring more Americans to second-hand stores, Placer.ai said. Visits to thrift stores generally do not take off during the holidays, yet in the most recent Black Friday weekend, sales jumped 5.5%, Placer.ai. reported.
In November, as customer traffic in traditional apparel stores fell more than 3%, traffic in thrift stores soared 12.7%, according to Placer.ai.
The thrift migration has altered the demographics of second-hand stores. The average household income of thrift customers hit $75,000 during October and November of this year, a slight uptick from $74,900 last year, $74,600 in 2023 well above the average income of 74,100 in 2022, based on demographic data from STI:PopStats combined with Placer.ai data.
U.S. sales at thrift chain Savers Value Village's rose 10.5% in the three months ended Sept. 27 and the momentum continued through October, store executives said in late October.
“High household income cohort continues to become a larger portion of our consumer mix,” CEO Mark Walsh told analysts. “It’s trade down for sure, and our younger cohort also continues to grow in numbers. ”
For the first six weeks of the holiday season, return rates have dipped from the same period a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics.
That suggests that shoppers are doing more research before adding something to their shopping list, and they're being more disciplined in sticking to the lists they create, according to Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights.
“I think it’s very indicative of consumers and how conscientiously they’ve purchased,” Pandya said. “Many of them are being very specific with how they spend their budget.”
From Nov. 1 to Dec. 12, returns fell 2.5% compared with last year, Adobe reported. In the seven days following Cyber Week — the five shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, returns fell 0.1%.
From the Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, online sales rose 6% to $187.3 billion, on track to surpass its outlook for the season, Adobe reported.
Between Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, returns are expected to rise by 25% to 35% compared with returns between Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, Adobe said, and it expects returns to remain elevated through the first two weeks of January, up 8% to 15%.
This is the first year that Adobe has tracked returns.
Still, the last week of December sees the greatest concentration of returns: one out of every eight returns in the 2024 holiday season took place between Dec. 26 and Dec 31, a trend expected to persist this year, Adobe said.
Post-holiday shoppers pass a Christmas tree at Calef's Country Store, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Barrington, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
FILE - A shopper loads a cart full at Kohl's department store for Black Friday deals, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Woodstock, Ga. (AP Photo/Megan Varner, File)
FILE - Becca Mendoza and Tammi Hines look at products as shoppers browse through Kohl's department store for Black Friday deals, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Woodstock, Ga. (AP Photo/Megan Varner, File)
Post-holiday shoppers pass a seasonal candy and Christmas display at Calef's Country Store, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Barrington, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Post-holiday shoppers pass a Christmas tree and festive display at Calef's Country Store, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Barrington, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
