Who is Sturla Holm Laegreid? Winter Olympics bronze medalist admits to cheating on girlfriend in tearful post-race interview - Watch Viral video

The post-race interview with the bronze medalist in Tuesday’s men’s Olympic biathlon event took a dramatic turn when the athlete broke down after the race and made a personal confession during a live broadcast, revealing he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend. Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid secured third place in the 20-kilometre individual race at the Milan Cortina Games. However, while speaking with Norwegian broadcaster NRK after the competition, the usually composed biathlete appeared emotional and remorseful as he addressed the issue. The candid confession surprised fans went viral in no time and revealed a rare, vulnerable side of the elite Olympian.


“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,” Laegreid said, fighting back tears.


A tearful Laegreid said he had informed his partner about the incident a week earlier, reported CTV News.

“I’m sure many people now see me in a different light, but I only have eyes for her,” he said. “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.”

The bronze medal marked Laegreid's first individual Olympic podium finish, after previously winning gold as part of Norway’s relay team at the 2022 Beijing Games. However, there was little celebration after the race. Visibly distressed, Laegreid was seen crying and embracing friends. At a later news conference, he explained his decision to speak publicly about his personal situation during the televised interview.

“It was the choice I made. We make different choices during our life and that’s how we make life,” he told a room full of journalists. “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.”


Laegreid’s teammate Johan-Olav Botn delivered a flawless shooting performance in his Olympic debut to win the gold medal, while France’s Eric Perrot, the overall World Cup leader, missed one shot and finished 14.8 seconds behind Botn to claim silver.

Laegreid said he felt regret for overshadowing his teammate’s achievement by sharing such deeply personal news.

“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.”