It’s the update the entire Winter Olympics fan community has been waiting for. Currently, the world’s best winter sport athletes are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina (Italy). With gold medals on the line, gifted and talented individuals have been busy flying through the air with snowboards and skis attached to their feet, gently (but strategically) pushing curling stones down a plot of ice, and skiing and shooting in the games’ most unique contest: the Biathlon.
The biathlon is already a very intriguing event, and it was made that much more interesting when the men’s 20km Individual race ended with one competitor confessing that he cheated on his girlfriend.
Long story short, a Norwegian biathlon athlete by the name of Sturla Holm Laegreid secured a bronze medal in the Men’s 20km Individual race today. It was a proud moment for the 28-year-old, and something he had been working towards his entire life. When he was interviewed about his accomplishment, Laegreid shared it was his first ever medal finish:
“It’s huge. It’s my first Olympic medal. I want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way. The waxers for a great day of skiing. My whole family for supporting me.”
Pretty normal response for an Olympic athlete, right?
Well, immediately after he mentioned his family, things got a bit off the rails. It was then that he decided to tell the world that he cheated. Not in the competition itself… but on his girlfriend, who he referred to as the love of his life:
“There’s someone I want to share this with, who may not be watching today. Six months ago I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful, wonderful person. And three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her. That’s all I’ve been thinking about for a week. It’s been the worst week of my life.”
Laegreid apparently told his girlfriend (maybe ex-girlfriend now) about his mistake a week ago, which explains why he described this first week of the Winter Olympics – a week in which he earned a bronze medal – as the worst of his life.
He went on to relate the love of his life to a gold medal, and how he wishes he could go back and change things so that he could share this celebratory moment with her:
“I had a gold medal in my life. I’m sure there are probably many people now who look at me with different eyes, but I only have eyes for her. I don’t really know what I want to get at by saying this now, but sports have been secondary in recent days. I wish I could share it with her.”
How wild is that?
As you might imagine, that story captured the attention of Winter Olympics fans. Some have even said it overshadowed the event itself, which actually saw another Norwegian athlete, Johan-Olav Botn, take home gold in the same event. But overall, people all across the world were wondering if the stunt would pay off for Laegreid.
According to a report from a Norwegian newspaper, it did not.
The ex-girlfriend, who wishes to remain anonymous, reached out to the paper to give them an update on her side of things after the basically global confession of love and infidelity.
“It’s hard to forgive. Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world, it’s hard to forgive. I did not choose to be put in this position, and it hurts to have to be in it. We have had contact and he is aware of my opinions on this.
(I want to thank) my family and friends who have embraced me and supported me during this time. Also to everyone else who has thought of me and sympathized, without knowing who I am.”
That doesn’t sound like the Hollywood ending some people were hoping for… certainly not the one Laegreid was holding out for.
The Norwegian biathlete was actually contacted by the same newspaper for comment, and he had this to say after he and his ex-girlfriend had contact following his viral post-event interview:
“I deeply regret that I brought up this personal story on what was a joyous day for Norwegian biathlon. I am not quite myself today, and I am not thinking clearly.”
The definition of down bad… hopefully he gets everything in order sooner rather than later. Laegreid at least has his first ever Olympic medal to fall back on during this trying time (that he kind of brought upon himself).
