One of the most bizarre stories from the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina is that of Norwegian biathlete Sturla Hom Laegreid, who used his interview after winning a bronze medal to publicly reveal that he cheated on his girlfriend three months ago, hoping to win her love back. Conversation has been dominated by this story, with few people paying attention to the winner of the event, compatriot Johan-Olav Botn, who dedicated his victory (shouting his name as he crossed the finish line) to Sivert Guttorm Bakken, a teammate who died unexpectedly in a hotel last December, at the age of 27.
One day later, Laegreid has sent a statement through Norway's state broadcaster NRK, where he "deeply regrets bringing up this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon", and apologises to Johan-Olav, who "deserved all the attention after winning gold", adding that "I am not quite myself these days, and I am not thinking clearly" (via BBC).
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"My apologies also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight. I hope she is doing well. I cannot change what has happened, but I will now put this behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not be answering any further questions about this", he said, one day after the viral story, with thousands of people debating if what he did was inappropriate or not.
And what did Laegreid's ex girlfriend think? Apparently, she wrote anonymously to Norwegian newspaper VG, and said that "It's hard to forgive. Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world". She added that she did not chose to be put in this position, and she is in contact with him, and "he is aware of my feelings about this."
In day six of the Winter Olympic Games, Norway is leading with 12 medals, including six golds. Only on Tuesday three more medals where added, counting those by Laegreid and Botn.