Norwegian Olympic biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid, who earned a bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, stunned both viewers and his girlfriend when he tearfully admitted to cheating on her during a live televised interview.
The 28-year-old secured his place on the podium in the Men's 20km Individual Biathlon race in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on Tuesday (February 10).
While his performance, 19 targets hit out of 20 shots, earned him the bronze medal, it was his personal confession that caught everyone's attention.
In an emotional interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Laegreid opened up about cheating on his girlfriend of six months.
"Six months ago, I met the love of my life and the most beautiful and kindest person in the world. And three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her," he admitted, breaking down in tears, cited by The Sun.
Despite his success in the biathlon, Laegreid said his thoughts were consumed by his actions off the course.
"I had a gold medal in my life...I only have eyes for her," he said, referencing his regret. "Sports have been a little different in recent days. So I wish I could share it with her."
The biathlete explained that he had confessed to his girlfriend a week before the Olympics, but had been struggling ever since.
"I don't know what I want to achieve by saying this," Laegreid said. "You have to admit when you do something you can’t stand for, and hurt someone you love so much."
Hours after the interview, Laegreid expressed his uncertainty about how his confession would affect his relationship.
"I hope I don’t make it worse for her. Maybe it can help, I don’t know," he reflected. "We will see. I hope there’s light at the end of the tunnel for both of us."
Laegreid went on to explain that he had only made the decision to share his personal life publicly the night before his race, after discussing it with his teammates.
Girlfriend Struggles to Forgive
Laegreid's girlfriend, who has chosen to remain anonymous, responded to his admission.
In a message to Norwegian newspaper VG, she spoke about the difficulty of forgiving him after his public confession.
"Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world, it’s hard to forgive," she said. "I did not choose to be put in this position, and it hurts to have to be in it."
Even though she is heartbroken, she acknowledged his success at the Winter Olympics and congratulated him on his bronze medal.
"We have had contact, and he is aware of my opinions on this," she added, indicating that their relationship remains strained but open to further conversation.