2026 Winter Olympics: Sturla Holm Lægreid adds second bronze medal in Milan as private life grabs headlines

Sturla Holm Lægreid returned to the Olympic podium just days after facing intense public attention over his personal life. The Norwegian biathlete won his second bronze medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics after finishing third in the men’s 10km sprint biathlon in Milan.

His result came only three days after he openly admitted he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend, a confession that quickly became part of the conversation around him.Despite the emotional pressure, Lægreid kept his focus on the race. He completed the event with a time of 23:09, finishing only three seconds behind second place. After the race, he said his main goal was to stay concentrated on skiing and shooting rather than outside noise.

The medal marked another strong performance for him after already winning bronze in the 20km individual event earlier in the Games.

Sturla Holm Lægreid says focus on skiing helped him return to Olympic podium

Sturla Holm Lægreid explained that staying focused on the course and the shooting range helped him handle the pressure surrounding him. Speaking after the race, he said, “Focus on the skiing and the course. Focus on the shooting in the range and it paid off.” His calm approach showed a clear difference from earlier comments when he shared emotional details about his relationship.

After the 20km race earlier in the week, Lægreid had openly admitted he was unfaithful, saying, “Six months ago, I met the love of my life, the most beautiful and kindest person in the world. Three months ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life and was unfaithful, and I told her about it a week ago. This has been the worst week of my life.”A day later, his former partner responded through Norwegian outlet VG. While she congratulated him and his teammates, she also made her feelings clear.

She said forgiveness was difficult and added that she never chose to be put in such a public situation.Even with the personal headlines surrounding him, Lægreid’s performances on the snow remained strong. Two bronze medals at one Olympics show how he managed to separate competition from personal struggles, at least for now.