Sturla Holm Laegreid came to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics chasing medals. Instead, he found himself apologizing.
A day after turning a bronze medal interview into a tearful confession about cheating on his girlfriend, the Norwegian biathlete said Wednesday he deeply regretted taking his private life public on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Laegreid, 28, had just secured bronze in Tuesday’s 20-kilometer individual race when he shifted the focus away from biathlon.
Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, he revealed he had been unfaithful “to the love of my life” and said he hoped the public declaration might win her back.
The moment stunned viewers and quickly overshadowed teammate Johan Olav Botn’s gold medal performance.
Botn shot clean to claim victory and delivered an emotional tribute to their late teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died in December.
Within hours, headlines centered not on Norway’s triumph but on Laegreid’s remorse.
“I deeply regret sharing this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon,” Laegreid said in a statement released by the Norwegian Olympic Committee. “I am not quite myself these days and not thinking clearly. My apologies go to Johan Olav, who deserved all the attention after winning gold. They also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight. I cannot undo this, but I will now put it behind me and focus on the Olympics.”
He added that he would not answer further questions about the matter.
Norwegian newspaper VG reported it had spoken with his former partner, who asked to remain anonymous. She appeared unmoved by the public plea.
“It is hard to forgive him, even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world,” she told the paper. “I did not choose to be put in this position, and it is painful to endure it.”
The backlash extended beyond the tabloids. Norwegian great Johannes Thingnes Boe said the timing was “completely wrong,” while retired German biathlete Erik Lesser, now a television analyst, urged a return to the sport itself.
“At the Games, we should talk about biathlon,” Lesser said. “I understand he wants to fix things in his private life, but this is about competition.”
