• Admitted to cheating on "the love of his life" after winning the bronze medal

• Grabbed global attention and sparked widespread debate among athletes and fans

Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid confessed to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview following his bronze medal in the 20 km biathlon at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old revealed he had betrayed "the love of his life, the most beautiful and kindest person" three months ago, telling her just a week before the interview, describing the past week as "the worst of his life."

"I had a gold medal in life, and maybe people see me differently now, but my eyes see only her. Sports have taken a back seat these days," he said.

Lægreid noted he wanted to share his victory with someone "who might not be watching today" and said he met his ex six months ago, but she broke up with him after discovering his betrayal.

"I'm not ready to give up. I accept the consequences of my actions and regret them with all my heart. Maybe I'm a fool despite being a member of Mensa," he added.

"I realized this woman is my life, and I cannot hide from her what I did. My only path is to tell the whole truth, hoping she will still love me. I did this for her, and now for the world. I have nothing to lose," Lægreid said.

His confession quickly went viral online, causing shock and surprise, with one Swedish sports journalist calling it "the strangest post-medal interview I've ever seen."

The revelation comes months after the death of his teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken during a training camp in Italy, whom Lægreid had eulogized on Instagram.

Lægreid is a six-time Biathlon World Champion and won a relay gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Tuesday's bronze was his first Olympic medal this year.

He credited a video from his Norwegian club for helping him stay motivated despite a difficult week.

"I want to be a role model, but I must own up to my mistakes and take responsibility when I hurt someone I love," he said.

His teammate Johannes Dale-Skjevdal noted some athletes knew about the incident: "It's good that he's open about it, and if he wants to talk, that's fine, but it's hard for me to comment now."

Martin Uldal said he was unaware: "I noticed he was acting differently but didn't know why. I thought it was just nerves. I'm very sad to hear this, and we will support him."

Gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn called it "none of my business," saying his own win was "primarily a personal and emotional victory." Lægreid apologized: "Sorry if I ruined your day, but I think he understands, and I don’t want to steal the spotlight today."

At a press conference, Lægreid said: "I don’t know if this was the right choice, but it’s what I decided. Today I chose to tell the world what I did, so maybe she will see what she really means to me — maybe not. But I don’t want to regret not trying."