Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid won the bronze medal in the 20 kilometer biathlon race at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, but it was the statement made after the race that ended up marking the moment and dominating media attention.
In the mixed zone, visibly emotional, the 28-year-old athlete revealed, in statements to Norwegian public television NRK, that he cheated on his girlfriend, describing the last few days as “the worst week” of his life. “Six months ago I met the love of my life. Three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life by cheating on her and I told her about a week ago,” he said.
NEW: Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid admits to cheating on his girlfriend after winning a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics.
Sturla Holm Laegreid broke down in tears as he talked about the “worst week” of his life.
“I had a gold medal in my life, and there are…
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Despite achieving her first individual Olympic medal, after gold in the relay at the Beijing 2022 Games, Lægreid admitted that the sport took a backseat. “I had the gold medal in life,” he said, referring to his romantic relationship.
The Norwegian also explained that he decided to make the situation public as a way of admitting his mistake and showing regret. “I want to be a good example and I have to admit when I make mistakes”, he highlighted.
The following day, the athlete spoke publicly again to apologize to his teammate Johan-Olav Botn, gold medalist in the same event, for considering that he ended up “stealing the stage” by transforming a sporting moment into an episode of personal exposure.
The unexpected confession became one of the most talked about moments of these Winter Olympic Games, not because of the competitive result, but because of the personal and emotional dimension revealed by Sturla Holm Lægreid on the very day of climbing the podium.
