Sturla Holm Lægreid’s spectacular on-air confession of infidelity didn’t win him any points with his ex-girlfriend.
The Norwegian biathlon athlete went viral Tuesday for winning a bronze medal and then tearfully admitting to cheating on his girlfriend in his post-win interview. Lægreid pleaded with the unnamed woman to give him another chance.
In a Wednesday interview with Norwegian outlet VG, Lægreid’s ex — who has requested to remain anonymous — said his infidelity was “hard to forgive, even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world.”
She added that he ex’s decision to confess his mistake and proclaim his love on television has put her in a tough position.
“I did not choose to be put in this position, and it hurts to have to be in it,” she said. “We have had contact and he is aware of my opinions on this. [I am grateful] to my family and friends who have embraced me and supported me during this time. Also to everyone else who has thought of me and sympathized, without knowing who I am.”
After finishing the men’s 20 km biathlon at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, Lægreid told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend of six months, “the love of my life, the most beautiful and kindest person.”
Lægreid explained in the video below, “I told her a week ago. And it’s been the worst week of my life. I had a gold medal in life, and there are probably a lot of people out there who look at me differently now, but I only have eyes for her. Sports have taken a bit of a back seat these past couple of days. Yeah, I wish I could share this with her.”
“I’m not ready to give up,” the six-time biathlon world champion continued. “I hope that committing social suicide [like this] might show her how much I love her. I accept the consequences of what I’ve done. I regret it with all my heart. Maybe I’m dumb as a rock. I’m a member of Mensa, but I still do stupid stuff.”
He added that he’s “realized that this is the woman of my life, and I can’t live my whole life keeping that from her. My only path to the finish line is to tell her everything and put it all on the table, and hope that she’ll still love me. I’ve done that for her, and now for the entire world. I’ve nothing to lose.”
One journalist called the interview “the strangest medal interview I’ve seen,” while a Norwegian podcaster called it “the most absurd medal interview of all time.”
According to NBC, in a follow-up press conference, the athlete added that he didn’t know “if it’s the right choice or not … So today I made the choice to tell the world what I did, so maybe there is a chance that she will see what she really means to me. And maybe not. But I don’t want to think I didn’t try everything to get her back.”
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