Norwegian biathlete wins Olympic bronze — then admits on live TV he ‘cheated’ on his girlfriend

Winter Olympics 2026: Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid stunned viewers after finishing third in the men’s 20km biathlon, using his moment on the podium to deliver an unusually candid confession about his private life.

Instead, the 27-year-old biathlete broke down in tears during a live interview with NRK, apologising for having an affair and describing the days leading into the race as “the worst week of my life”.

While Norway celebrated another podium finish in a sport it has long dominated, Lægreid’s raw interview — delivered minutes after crossing the line — left television viewers stunned, and reframed his medal as a personal reckoning rather than a sporting milestone.

Lægreid’s bronze added to a decorated career that includes Olympic relay gold in Beijing four years ago and 14 world championship medals, seven of them gold.

Yet in the immediate aftermath of the race, Lægreid appeared overwhelmed, signalling that sport had become secondary in recent days.

“There is something I want to share with someone who may not be watching today,” he said. “Half a year ago I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful and nicest person. Three months ago I made the mistake of my life and cheated on her, and I told her about that a week ago. This has been the worst week of my life.

Ben Ogden crosses the finish line to win the silver medal in the cross-country skiing men's sprint.

“I had the gold medal in life, and I am sure there are many people who will see things differently, but I only have eyes for her. Sport has come second these last few days. Yes, I wish I could share this with her.”

Asked by the interviewer how he managed to finish third, he replied: “I try to be a good role model and I did something stupid. I got a nice video from the club at home and I used that as motivation today. As I said I want to be a good role model but I have to admit when I get something wrong. You have to admit when you do something you can’t stand for and hurt someone you love so much.”

The comments, broadcast live, struck an unusually confessional tone for a Winter Olympics setting, where public image and controlled messaging typically shape athlete appearances.

“I do not want to say who it is. She has had enough to deal with after last week but I hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us both. And that she can continue to love me.”

He also suggested he worried his interview had eclipsed the achievements of others, particularly Botn’s Olympic gold.

“Of course, now I hope I didn’t ruin Johan’s day. Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview. So yeah, I don’t know. I was, I’m a bit, I don’t know … I’m not really here mentally. So yeah, we will see what happens.”

He was remembering teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who was found dead in his hotel room in Lavazè, Italy, in December.

“My thoughts felt OK all the way,” he told NRK.

“I went out on the last lap and had an incredible emotional rollercoaster. It was very special. When I crossed the line I broke down. I was thinking about him all the way through the last lap. I started to think about the whole year and us training every day for this. It had been such a clear goal for us. I felt that he was with me that whole lap. I hope he was watching today.”

For Norway — where biathlon athletes are among the country’s most visible sporting figures — the interviews punctured the usual Olympic narrative of triumph, replacing it with something messier and more human.

Lægreid’s decision to speak openly about his affair was almost without precedent in Olympic broadcasting, and it arrived in a moment when public figures across sport increasingly confront expectations of moral clarity alongside performance.

For Lægreid, the bronze medal was not framed as consolation or victory. It was framed as survival.

“I had the gold medal in life,” he said, “and I am sure there are many people who will see things differently, but I only have eyes for her.”