Winter Olympian’s girlfriend speaks out after he used medal interview to confess cheating

The girlfriend of Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid has said she is finding it “hard to forgive” after the Winter Olympian publicly admitted to cheating on her during a live TV interview, moments after winning a bronze medal.

Yesterday should have been remembered purely as one of the biggest sporting days of Lægreid’s career, as the 28-year-old secured his first Winter Olympic medal in the biathlon, finishing third for Norway at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena. Instead of focusing solely on the podium moment, people were left stunned when he used his post-race interview to confess to being unfaithful to his partner.

NRK

Speaking live on air, Lægreid said: “There’s someone I wanted to share this with who might not be watching today. Six months ago, I met the love of my life and the most beautiful and kindest person in the world. And three months ago I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her.”

He added: “I had a gold medal in my life. I only have eyes for her. You have to admit when you do something you can’t stand for, and hurt someone you love so much.”

Hours later, Lægreid revealed he had not yet heard from his partner and said he hoped the public declaration would not make things worse for her. “I hope there’s light at the end of the tunnel for both of us,” he said.

Explaining why he chose to reveal the affair on live television, the athlete said he had decided the night before that he would “drop this bomb”, adding that he felt he had “nothing to lose” and wanted to show how much he loved her.

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A post shared by Sturla Holm Lægreid (@sturlal)

Now, his girlfriend, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has broken her silence. Writing to Norwegian newspaper VG after the incident, she said: “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.”

She confirmed the pair had been in contact since the interview and said he was aware of her views on the situation. Despite the personal turmoil, she congratulated Lægreid on winning bronze and thanked her friends and family for supporting her through the fallout.

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A post shared by Dmytro Pidruchnyi (@dmytro.pidruchnyi)

Meanwhile, Lægreid’s teammates have also reacted to the highly public confession. Fellow Norwegian biathlete Johannes Dale-Skjevdal told NRK that he had been aware of his teammate’s relationship struggles prior to the interview and praised him for being open. “We have known that, yes,” he said, adding that if Lægreid wanted to talk about personal issues publicly, that was his choice.

Teammate Martin Uldal admitted he had been blindsided by the revelation, though he had noticed something seemed off in the days leading up to the race. “I’ve noticed a little bit about him, that he’s been a little different,” he said. “It’s very sad to hear. Really tough, tough situation.”

Lægreid has described the past week as the “worst of his life”, and said he hopes there may still be a future for the couple. The identity of his girlfriend remains undisclosed, and he has said he will continue to respect her privacy.

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Featured image credit: NRK, Instagram