NEWSNorwegian Olympian Sturla Holm Lægreid Admits Cheating on the 'Love of His Life' in Emotional Post-Race Interview
Norwegian Olympian Sturla Holm Lægreid admitted to cheating on the 'love of his life' in an emotional interview.
Feb. 10 2026, Published 5:51 p.m. ET
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid shocked fans after winning bronze in the men's 20km individual event at the Milan Cortina Olympics by making a dramatic personal confession in a live post-race interview.
The 28-year-old, one of Norway's top biathletes, admitted to cheating on his girlfriend three months ago.
'Love of My Life'
Sturla Holm Lægreid revealed he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend in a live broadcast.
"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," he said, fighting back tears, per the AP.
Lægreid revealed he had told his partner just a week before the Olympics.
"I'm sure many people now see me in a different light, but I only have eyes for her," he 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."
Bronze Metal Win
The athlete broke down in tears.
Despite his emotional turmoil, Lægreid performed well enough to secure his first individual Olympic medal, finishing 48.3 seconds behind gold medalist teammate Johan-Olav Botn.
France's Eric Perrot took silver after missing one target, while Lægreid also missed a single shot to take bronze. He previously won gold as part of Norway's relay team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
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'Not Really Here Mentally'
He said the unnamed woman was the 'love of his life.'
After the race, Lægreid was visibly distraught, crying and hugging friends.
During a news conference, he explained why he had chosen to reveal his personal situation publicly.
"It was the choice I made. We make different choices during our life and that's how we make life. 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," he said.
He also apologized to his teammate Botn for overshadowing his gold medal win.
"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."
'Worst Week of My Life'
The biathlete reflected on his difficult week leading up to the Olympics.
He revealed that he had confessed the affair to his ex just a week before the Olympics, and that the following days had been "the worst week of my life."
"I had a kind of revelation that I should drop this bomb...Then we'll see what happens," he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK, per The Daily Beast, adding that he hoped his public confession might show his ex how much he loved her. "Because I am already hated by her, and I hope that maybe it can make her realise how much I love her. I have nothing to lose."
