Winning an Olympic medal is usually the pinnacle of an athlete's career. For Norway's Sturla Lægreid, however, his bronze in the men's 20km individual biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics was overshadowed by a startling revelation. Moments after stepping off the podium, the 28-year-old admitted in a live interview that he had cheated on his girlfriend, saying 'it has been the worst week of my life.'
Clips of the unprompted confession quickly made its rounds on social media, turning attention away from Lægreid's sporting achievement and into his private struggles.
Sturla Holm Lægreid is a world-class Norwegian biathlete, celebrated for his accuracy and composure on the shooting range. He first rose to prominence as a 'sharpshooter' and has since built a formidable record.
Lægreid won gold in the relay in the Beijing Winter Olympics four years ago and has 14 world championship medals, including seven gold. On the World Cup circuit, he is a highly decorated competitor, having won the overall Total Score title for the 2024–2025 season.
Outside of biathlon, he is known for his interests in meditation and playing the electric guitar, which he often brings with him when travelling during competitions.
Norway's Johan-Olav Botn bagged the gold medal in the men's 20km individual race, while France's Éric Perrot took silver. Lægreid finished 48.3 seconds behind fellow Norwegian Botn to secure the bronze.
Yet the spotlight quickly shifted. In a post-race interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Lægreid broke down in tears and admitted live that he has cheated on his girlfriend, saying: 'It has been the worst week of my life.'
Lægreid continued, '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. 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.'
When asked about how he managed to perform despite the turmoil, Lægreid said that he wanted to be a good role model and knew that he had to admit to something that he did wrong.
He said, '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.'
Source: International Business Times UK
