The former girlfriend of the Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid has responded to his public apology for having an affair, saying it “is hard to forgive” what he did.
It was after Lægreid had won bronze in the individual 20km on Tuesday that he, unprompted, opened up on what he described as the “hardest week of my life,” saying: “Half a year ago I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful and nicest person. Three months ago I made the mistake of my life and cheated on her, and I told her about that a week ago. This has been the worst week of my life.”
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, wrote to Norwegian paper VG: “It is hard to forgive, even after such a public declaration of love in front of the whole world. I have not asked to be put in this position and it is hard to be there. We have had contact and he knows my feelings about this.”
Lægreid is one of the best biathletes in the world, having won gold in the relay in Beijing four years ago and amassed 14 world championship medals. This week though, his apology overshadowed everything else he has achieved.
His former girlfriend thanked “my family and my friends who have embraced me and supported me during this – and to all others who have thought about me and sympathised with me, without knowing who I am.”
She did also point out that Tuesday belonged to Sivert Guttorm Bakken, the Norwegian biathlete who died just before Christmas last year. “It was moving to see how Sivert was included in the victory,” she said, referring to how the winner of the race, Johan-Olav Botn, shouted “we did it Sivert!” into the TV cameras after crossing the finish line.
Lægreid has been criticised for the timing of his apology and said late on Tuesday: “I sincerely apologise for revealing this personal story on a happy day for Norwegian biathlon. I am not myself and not thinking clearly.
“The apology goes to Johan-Olav who deserved to have all the attention after his gold. And it goes to my former girlfriend, who has been put in the media spotlight without her wish, I hope she is doing OK. I can’t redo this, but I want to put it behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not make any further comments about it.”
