Who is Sturla Lægreid? Olympic Biathlon Bronze Medalist Confessed to Cheating on His Girlfriend

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.

Who is Sturla Lægreid?

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.

The Infidelity Confession

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.'

He said, 'There is someone I wanted to share this with who might not be watching today. Half a year ago, I met the love of my life. The world's most beautiful and nicest person.'

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.'

'Sport has come second these last few days. Yes, I wish I could share this with her,' Lægreid confessed.

Wanting to Become a Role Model

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.'

'As I said, I want to be a good role model, but I have to admit when I get something wrong. You have to admit when you do something you can't stand for and hurt someone you love so much,' Lægreid added.

Hope for Forgiveness

After the medal ceremony, Lægreid told reporters that he would not reveal his girlfriend's name, believing she has endured enough in recent days. He said, 'She has had enough to deal with after last week, but I hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for us both. And that she can continue to love me.'

In a separate press conference, Lægreid was asked if he thinks that confessing to the world is the right choice. He answered: 'Really, I don't know if it's the right choice or not. But it was the choice I made. We make different choices during our life and that's how you make life basically.'

He continued, 'So today I made the choice to tell the world what I did. So maybe maybe there's a chance that she will see what she really means to me,' adding, 'I don't want to think I didn't try everything to get her back.'

In a previous interview, Lægreid said, 'Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview. So yeah, I don't know. I was, I'm a bit, I don't know ... I'm not really here mentally. So yeah, we will see what happens.'

Botn's Emotional Victory

While Lægreid's confession dominated headlines, Botn's win carried its own emotional weight. He dedicated his gold medal to his teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who died suddenly in December 2025 at a hotel in Lavazè, Italy. As he crossed the finish line, Botn pointed to the sky and shouted: 'We did it, Sivert!'