Sturla Holm Lægreid, a Norwegian biathlete, publicly admitted to cheating on his girlfriend in a post-race interview shortly after winning a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics. This unexpected revelation on live television has prompted a response from his girlfriend, who has stated she has not forgiven him, contrary to the athlete's expressed hopes.
Context
Sturla Holm Lægreid secured a bronze medal in the men's 20km individual biathlon race at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena on Tuesday. Following his performance, during a live television interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Lægreid confessed to being unfaithful to his girlfriend. He stated that he made this mistake three months prior and informed his partner of his infidelity approximately a week before the race. The athlete expressed that this guilt had affected his preparation for the Games and that he had hoped his public admission might lead to reconciliation.
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Evidence
Lægreid admitted on live television that he had "made the mistake of my life and cheated on her" three months ago. (Article 5)
He revealed that he told his girlfriend about the infidelity "a week ago." (Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Following his confession, Lægreid was seen crying on camera. (Article 1)
He stated his hope that his girlfriend could "still love me." (Article 1)
Reports indicate that his girlfriend has since responded, stating she has not forgiven him. (Article 1)
Lægreid shared that he met his partner six months ago. (Article 2)
He also mentioned that his relationship had ended when he confessed last week. (Article 7)
Lægreid expressed that he made the public confession "in an effort to persuade his girlfriend to give him another chance." (Article 7)
During a press conference, Lægreid acknowledged that his personal news might have overshadowed his teammate Johan-Olav Botn's gold medal win. (Articles 3, 8)
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Athlete's Personal Struggle
Lægreid described the week leading up to his confession as "the worst week of my life." (Article 5) He explained that he was "not really here mentally" and felt his partner was with him during the race. (Article 5) He also stated that he had "nothing to lose." (Article 8)
Girlfriend's Reaction
The athlete's girlfriend has responded to his public confession. (Article 1)
Her response indicates that she has not forgiven him. (Article 1)
This outcome is described as not the "happy ending" Lægreid had hoped for. (Article 1)
Athletic Achievement
Lægreid's bronze medal in the 20km individual biathlon was his first Olympic medal in this discipline. (Articles 2, 3, 7) He competed against fellow Norwegians and international athletes, with Johan-Olav Botn taking gold and Éric Perrot securing silver. (Articles 5, 6)
Expert Analysis
"Winning an Olympic medal spurred a Norwegian biathlete to shoot his shot… with his ex-girlfriend." (Article 2)
The public nature of Lægreid's confession, delivered live on television immediately after a significant athletic achievement, is an unusual convergence of personal crisis and public triumph. It raises questions about the athlete's motivation for choosing this specific platform and timing for such a sensitive revelation.
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Conclusion
Sturla Holm Lægreid's public confession of infidelity after winning an Olympic bronze medal has created a complex situation. While he expressed a desire for reconciliation, his girlfriend has indicated a lack of forgiveness. The event highlights the intersection of personal relationships and public performance in high-stakes athletic competitions, leaving the future of the relationship uncertain.
Sources
Daily Mail: "‘I hope I don’t make it worse for her.’ Lægreid had been seen crying on camera as he made his shocking confession following his medal win. And that she can still love me,’ he declared. Just a day before securing bronze at the Winter Olympics, he admitted that he did not have high expectations for himself. The mystery girlfriend of a Winter Olympics star who admitted to cheating on her in a live television interview has responded to his public outburst - and says she hasn't forgiven him. Only on film, never in real life.' The admission comes after he won his first-ever Olympic bronze in a nerve-jangling men's 20km individual biathlon race at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena on Tuesday." Published 46 minutes ago. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/winterolympics/article-15548843/sturla-holm-laegreid-cheating-girlfriend-response.html
NBC News: "She broke up with him once he told her about his betrayal. Yeah, I wish I could share this with her.” Without naming his ex-partner, he said that he met her six months ago. His bronze win Tuesday was his first Olympic medal this year. Winning an Olympic medal spurred a Norwegian biathlete to shoot his shot … with his ex-girlfriend. When asked how he managed to score the bronze despite his tough week, Lægreid told NRK that his club back home sent him a video that he used for motivation." Published 13 hours ago. https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/winter-olympics-2026-norwegian-athlete-admits-cheating-girlfriend-rcna258389
AP News: "He said he told his partner a week ago about what had happened. Maybe not.” He said he felt bad about upstaging his teammate with his deeply personal news. Norwegian biathlon bronze medalist confesses to cheating on girlfriend in post-race interview Norwegian biathlon bronze medalist confesses to cheating on girlfriend in post-race interview ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — A post-race interview with the bronze medal winner in the men’s Olympic biathlon competition on Tuesday took an unexpected turn when he revealed in a live broadcast that he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend. During a news conference he explained why he decided to tell the world about his personal situation on the TV broadcast. It was Laegreid’s first individual Olympic medal." Published 15 hours ago. https://apnews.com/article/biathlon-olympics-laegreid-78373bfa218f880f219531cb31e5d348
USA Today: "Lægreid declined to name the person he was discussing during the interview, though he revealed that he told her of his infidelity last week. 10 in Anterselva, Italy, after winning a bronze medal in the 20-kilometer biathlon final, telling his country ‒ and the world, as it's turned out ‒ that he recently cheated on "the love of my life." This Norwegian love triangle played out on the international sporting stage, with Lægreid quickly in tears as he confessed on air, explaining how the circumstances affected his performance and his desire to restore the relationship. So there he was at the finish line, in front of a camera from Norway's NRK Television on Tuesday, Feb. At the end of the conversation, the Norwegian reporter asked Lægreid if he had considered what this person might think now that he had told all of Norway what he had done. But he said the guilt from his transgressions affected his preparation in the lead-up to the Milano Cortina Games." Published 1 day ago. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/02/10/sturla-holm-laegreid-norway-winter-olympics-2026-girlfriend-cheating/88606146007/
The Guardian: "I felt that he was with me that whole lap. Three months ago I made the mistake of my life and cheated on her, and I told her about that a week ago. The Norwegian Sturla Holm Lægreid broke down in tears after winning bronze in the men’s 20km biathlon, apologising for having an affair and saying: “It has been the worst week of my life.” Johan-Olav Botn won gold, with the Frenchman Éric Perrot in second, but it was Lægreid who stunned television viewers in Norway after opening up to the broadcaster NRK about his private life over the past six months. I was, I’m a bit, I don’t know … I’m not really here mentally. When I crossed the line I broke down." Published 17 hours ago. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/10/norwegian-biathlete-sturla-holm-laegreid-winter-olympics-bronze-and-tells-tv-interview-of-affair
Sky News: "I told her about it a week ago. His fellow Norwegian Johan-Olav Botn took gold while France's Eric Perrot claimed the silver. Laegreid finished in third place in the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, and then broke down in tears at the Winter Olympics on Tuesday. Olympian Sturla Holm Laegreid admits to cheating on girlfriend after medal win Wednesday 11 February 2026 00:45, UK Norwegian Olympian Sturla Holm Laegreid confessed in a live television interview to cheating on his girlfriend, moments after winning a bronze medal. Speaking to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK in his native language, just moments after finishing his biathlon, he said: "There's someone I wanted to share it with who might not be watching today." Published 12 hours ago. https://news.sky.com/story/olympian-sturla-holm-laegreid-admits-to-cheating-on-girlfriend-after-medal-win-13505853
Los Angeles Times: "Lægreid told Norwegian newspaper VG that his relationship ended when he made his private confession last week. Norwegian biathlete wins Olympic bronze, then confesses to cheating on girlfriend A Norwegian biathlete wins bronze at the Milan-Cortina Games, then uses a post-race interview to confess that he cheated on his girlfriend three months ago. Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid won his first individual Olympic medal on Tuesday, then immediately confessed to cheating — but not in the 20-kilometer individual race. He made his very public confession at one of the biggest moments of his life, he said, in an effort to persuade his girlfriend to give him another chance. Lægreid used a post-race interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK to admit he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend." Published 11 hours ago. https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2026-02-10/norwegian-biathlete-olympic-bronze-infidelity-cheated-on-girlfriend
Globalnews.ca: "Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her,” he said. I have nothing to lose,” he said. During a press conference after his admission, he told reporters he hoped he hadn’t ruined fellow teammate and gold medallist Johan-Olav Botn’s day. It’s unclear if Laegreid’s ex-girlfriend heard his on-screen mea culpa. Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid admitted live on television to cheating on his now ex-girlfriend, shortly after winning a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics, in the hopes of regaining her affection." Published 12 hours ago. https://globalnews.ca/news/11661493/olympics-athlete-admits-cheating-girlfriend-sturla-holm-laegreid-bronze-medal/
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