Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid has issued an apology in the wake of admitting he cheated on his girlfriend during an interview after winning a bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
‘I deeply regret bringing up this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon,’ Laegreid told NRK in a statement released on Wednesday, Feb. 11, which was translated by the BBC. ‘I am not quite myself these days, and I am not thinking clearly. My apologies go to Johan-Olav, who deserved all the attention after winning gold.
‘My apologies also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight. I hope she is doing well,’ he added. ‘I cannot change what has happened, but I will now put this behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not be answering any further questions about this.’
Lægreid, 28, is also a former gold medalist in the biathlon relay at the 2022 Winter Olympics and he’s a six-time former world champion in biathlon since 2021. Lægreid has declined to name the person he was discussing during the interview, though he revealed that he told her of his infidelity last week.
‘There is someone who may not be watching today. Half a year ago, I met the love of my life, the world’s most beautiful, finest person,’ Lægreid said from the finish line on Tuesday, according to a NRK transcript, ‘and three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her.’
‘I had a gold medal in my life,’ he continued. ‘There are probably many now who look at me with different eyes, but I only have eyes for her. I don’t quite know what I want to achieve by saying it here now, but sport has taken second place in recent days. I wish I could share it with her.’