Olympian Sturla Holm Laegreid Makes Unexpected Admission on Live TV after Medal Win

An Olympic medal around his neck. Tears in his eyes. What happened next turned a routine post-race interview into one of the most talked-about moments of the Winter Games.

The 28-year-old Norwegian biathlete had just finished third in the men's 20km individual on day four of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Anterselva Biathlon Arena in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy, on February 10, 2026.

It should have been a victory lap. Instead, Sturla Holm Laegreid paused mid-interview and began speaking about someone who was not there.

According to a Sky News report, the Olympic bronze medalist spoke to a news outlet in his native language just moments after finishing his biathlon.

In that interview, he spoke quietly, "There's someone I wanted to share it with who might not be watching today." At first, it sounded like a sweet tribute.

It wasn't.

A Different Kind of 'Gold'

Moments later, Sturla revealed that the real story behind his tears had nothing to do with skiing or shooting. "Six months ago, I met the love of my life - the most beautiful and kindest person in the world," the biathlete added.

Continuing, he revealed the jaw-dropping information:

"Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her. I told her about it a week ago. It's ‌been the worst week of my life."

According to Sky News, the confession happened live on the Norwegian state broadcaster NRK. As further reported by the news outlet, the athlete stunned viewers by admitting he had only told his girlfriend days earlier after being unfaithful. He did not mention the woman's name during the media conference.

"I had a gold medal in my life, and there are probably many who look at me with different eyes, but I only have eyes for her," he added. "Sport has taken a slightly different place [in my life] the last few days. I wish I could share it with her."

In that instant, the bronze around his neck seemed almost symbolic. He had won one medal and lost another.

Why He Went Public

The obvious question quickly followed: Why confess like that? During a press conference reported by AP News on February 11, 2026, a reporter asked whether he felt it was the right decision.

Laegreid replied, "Really, I don't know if it's the right choice or not. Um, but it was the choice I made. We make different choices during our life and uh, that's how you make life, basically. So today I made the choice to tell the world what I did."

"So maybe there's a chance that she will, uh, see what she really means to me. Um, and maybe not, but uh I don't want to think I didn't try everything uh to get her back," he added.

It was not accidental. It was intentional. He later admitted he might not have been in the right state of mind.

"Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview," he said. "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."

The Race Itself

Lost in the emotional fallout was the fact that the competition had been fierce. Fellow Norwegian Johan-Olav Botn claimed gold, while France's Eric Perrot took silver.

The race came during a difficult season for Norwegian biathlon, following the death of teammate Sivert ‍Guttorm Bakken in December last year.

Against that backdrop, Sturla's vulnerability felt even more raw.

The Man Behind the Medal

On Instagram, where he has 80.8K followers and describes himself as "Full time Biathlete ⛷️ part time Rock Star 🕺," Sturla usually shares polished snapshots of life on and off the snow.

This was different. This was unscripted.

And while he expressed hope that the confession would be a "day or two long thing" and not overshadow the permanence of his Olympic medal, it may prove impossible to separate the two.

Now, the question is no longer just about split times or shooting accuracy. It is about whether a public confession can mend a private heartbreak and whether an Olympic stage was the right place to try.

Laegreid walked away from Milan-Cortina 2026 with a bronze medal. But long after the medals are packed away and the headlines fade, this may be remembered as the night he chose vulnerability over victory, and risked everything for a second chance.

Because in the end, the most gripping drama of the Games did not unfold on the snow. It unfolded in front of a microphone.