2 min readUpdated: Feb 11, 2026 01:58 PM IST
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid has gone viral for his tearful apology right after winning a bronze medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
Laegreid was being interviewed on the live broadcast of Norwegian broadcaster NRK after completing a bronze medal when he unexpectedly started speaking about him having cheated 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, visibly holding in his tears.
This was Laegreid’s first individual Olympic medal, although he was part of the Norwegian relay team that took gold at the Beijing Olympics. One of Norway’s top biathletes, Laegreid finished third in the 20-kilometer individual race.
“I’m sure many people now see me in a different light, but I only have eyes for her. 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,” he continued.
Later at a press conference, Laegreid explained why he decided to tell the world about his personal situation on the TV broadcast.
“It was the choice I made. We make different choices during our life and that’s how we make life,” he told a room full of journalists. “So today I made a choice to tell the world what I did, so maybe, maybe there is a chance she will see what she really means to me. Maybe not.”
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He said he felt bad about upstaging his teammate Johan-Olav Botn with his deeply personal news.
“Now I hope I didn’t ruin Johan’s day,” he said. “Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview. I’m not really here, mentally.”
Laegreid’s teammate Johan-Olav Botn shot perfectly in his Olympic debut to secure the gold medal while Eric Perrot of France, the overall World Cup leader, missed one shot and finished 14.8 seconds behind Botn to take silver. Laegreid also missed one target and was 48.3 seconds behind, taking the bronze.
(With inputs from AP)
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