Medal Moment Marred: Betrayed Ex Fires Back After Olympic Medallist's On-Air Affair Admission

Last Updated:February 12, 2026, 09:11 IST

Sturla Holm Laegreid’s Olympic bronze was overshadowed by his tearful infidelity confession, sparking backlash and a blunt response from his ex-girlfriend.

Sturla Holm Laegreid’s Olympic bronze should have been the story.

Instead, it’s his tearful confession of infidelity that continues to dominate headlines — and now, his ex-girlfriend has spoken out.

The Norwegian biathlete broke down during a live interview with NRK on Tuesday after finishing third in the men’s 20km individual at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

In an emotional moment, he admitted to cheating on “the love of my life": a public declaration that appeared aimed at winning her back.

But the response from her has been blunt.

“It’s hard to forgive him, even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world," she told Norwegian newspaper VG, which withheld her name for privacy reasons.

“I didn’t choose to be put in this position, and it’s painful to have to endure it," she added. “We’ve been in contact, and he’s aware of my feelings about this."

‘The Biggest Mistake of My Life’

Laegreid revealed during the interview that he met her six months ago before making what he called “the biggest mistake of my life" three months ago.

Fighting tears, he described her as “the world’s most beautiful, sweetest person" and said he wanted everyone to know how much she meant to him.

The timing immediately sparked backlash.

Critics argued the confession overshadowed teammate Johan-Olav Botn’s gold medal in the same event, a win Botn dedicated to the late Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died in December.

Regret and Backlash

By Wednesday, Laegreid issued a formal apology.

“I deeply regret sharing this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon," he said. “I am not quite myself these days, and not thinking clearly."

He apologised directly to Botn, saying his teammate “deserved all the attention," and to his ex-girlfriend for thrusting her into the spotlight. He added he would not take further questions and would focus on the remaining Olympic races.

Norwegian legend Johannes Thingnes Boe called the timing “completely wrong," while former German biathlete Erik Lesser urged a return to sport.

What should have been a podium moment has turned into an Olympic storm.

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