Sturla Holm Lægreid may have won a bronze medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, but the Norwegian biathlete admitted in an emotional post-win interview that he gave up a “gold medal in life” after cheating on his girlfriend.
“Six months ago I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful, sweetest person. And three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her,” Laegreid said while crying in an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that was translated to English. He brought up the topic by saying he wished to share his victory with someone “who might not be watching today.” He did not name his ex-partner, who broke up with him after he admitted to being unfaithful.
“I’m sure many people now see me in a different light, but I only have eyes for her,” the 28-year-old athlete added. “I’m not quite sure what I’m trying to say by saying this now, but sport has taken a back seat in recent days. I wish I could share this with her.”
In an apparent attempt to win her back, Laegreid said, “I’m not ready to give up. I hope that committing social suicide [like this] might show her how much I love her. I accept the consequences of what I’ve done. I regret it with all my heart. Maybe I’m dumb as a rock. I’m a member of Mensa, but I still do stupid stuff.”
He added, “I realized that this is the woman of my life, and I can’t live my whole life keeping that from her. My only path to the finish line is to tell her everything and put it all on the table, and hope that she’ll still love me. I’ve done that for her, and now for the entire world. I’ve nothing to lose.”
He continued, “I want to be a good role model, but I have to own up to my mistakes. You have to recognize when you’ve done something you can’t defend and hurt someone you love so deeply.”
Lægreid’s third-place finish marked his first Olympic medal. His Norway teammate Johan-Olav Botn took home the gold medal for biathlon, while France’s Eric Perrot won the silver.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Botn was asked about Lægreid’s post-game interview, saying his teammate’s infidelity is “none of my business” and that his own gold medal win is “a personal and emotional victory.”
Lægreid cut in to apologize, saying, “Sorry if I ruined your day. But I think he understands. I don’t want to steal the limelight today.”
During the press conference, he said he didn’t “know if it’s the right choice or not” to open up about his relationship, “but it’s the choice I made.”
“Today I made the choice to tell the world what I did, so maybe there is a chance that she will see what she really means to me,” Lægreid added. “And maybe not. But I don’t want to think I didn’t try everything to get her back.”
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