Sturla Holm Laegreid, a Norwegian biathlete, shocked the world when he admitted to cheating on his girlfriend in a tearful interview after winning a bronze medal in the men’s 20km individual biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The 28-year-old athlete told Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that his ex was “the love of my life—the most beautiful and kindest person in the world.” He also said that the betrayal happened three months after they met six months ago.

Laegreid told her about the affair just a week before the race, calling it “the worst week of my life.” He hoped that being open about his mistakes in public would win her back, even though it could be “social suicide.” He fought back tears and said that sports had taken a back seat to her. He even said that being a member of Mensa didn’t stop him from making the “biggest mistake” of his life.

People on social media had a lot of different things to say about it. Many said the move was manipulative instead of remorseful, and comments like “This isn’t sweet” showed that people didn’t believe he was really trying to make up for his mistakes during a victory moment. Even though there was a lot of talk about it, Laegreid stood by his decision to go public with it, saying he had “nothing to lose.”