‘Hard to forgive’ infidelity, says Norwegian Olympian Sturla Holm Laegreid’s ex after public apology

OSLO – It is the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics story that has set tongues wagging: a day after a Norwegian biathlete won a bronze medal and immediately confessed live on television to an affair, his former girlfriend spoke out on Feb 11, saying it was “hard to forgive”.

Asked by Norwegian channel NRK on Feb 10 to share his feelings after his bronze in the men’s 20km individual race, a teary Sturla Holm Laegreid broke down and admitted he had cheated on his girlfriend.

“Six months ago, I met the love of my life, the most beautiful and best person in the world,” said the 28-year-old.

“And three months ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life and I was unfaithful,” he continued.

“These have been the worst weeks of my life,” he said, adding that sport had “taken a back seat in recent days”.

On Feb 11, his girlfriend, whose name has not been disclosed, spoke to daily Verdens Gang.

“It’s hard to forgive. Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world,” she wrote to the newspaper. “I didn’t choose to be put in this position and it’s painful,” she said.

She also described the actions of Norwegian biathlete Johan-Olav Botn, who won the gold medal, as “moving”.

As he crossed the finish line, the 26-year-old looked up to the sky, then bent forward with his hands covering his face for several seconds, in tribute to his late friend and teammate Sivert Bakken, whom he found dead in their hotel room during a training trip in December.

“It’s like I was skiing with him on the last lap, like I crossed the finish line with him. I looked up to the sky hoping he was watching and that he was proud of me,” he said.

Former cross-country skier Petter Northug, who was at the centre of several controversies during and after his glittering career, praised Botn before taking aim at Laegreid.

“Johan-Olav Botn, a training product that has put in endless hours to reach the top. Honours his dead friend Sivert. Strong!” he wrote on X. “Teammate chooses to focus on who he has or has not (slept with).”

Laegreid said he hoped his dramatic confession and the media attention that ensued “didn’t ruin Johan’s day”.

“Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview,” he said. “I’m not really here mentally.”

Botn said he was not concerned about Laegreid stealing the headlines. “I don’t get involved in it. For me, this is first and foremost a personal victory - how much space it gets (in the media) doesn’t really matter to me,” he said. 

Norway’s former star biathlete Johannes Thingnes Boe, who won four gold medals at the 2022 Beijing Games, said on NRK that Laegreid’s confession came “really at the wrong time and the wrong place”.

Therese Johaug, a four-time Olympic champion in cross-country skiing, agreed. “I’ve never seen an interview like this before. It’s completely, completely the wrong time and place to do it,” she said on the same show. AFP, REUTERS