Sturla Holm Lægreid Wins Third Olympic Medal After Viral Confession
Sturla Holm Lægreid took silver in the men's 12.5km pursuit on Feb. 15 at the Milano Cortina Games after a viral tearful confession that he had cheated on his now-ex-girlfriend.
Overview
Sturla Holm Lægreid won silver in the men's 12.5-kilometer biathlon pursuit on Feb. 15 at the Milano Cortina Games, finishing behind Sweden's Martin Ponsiluoma.
The medal came after Lægreid went viral for a tearful on-camera confession that he had cheated on his now-ex-girlfriend during a post-race interview earlier in the Games.
Lægreid issued a statement saying he "deeply regrets" sharing the personal story, apologized to Johan-Olav Botn and his ex-girlfriend, and said he would not answer further questions, according to team statements.
He has won three medals at the Milano Cortina Games, including bronzes in the men's 10-kilometer sprint and the 20-kilometer event earlier in the week.
Lægreid said he will put the incident behind him and focus on the Olympics, and he will not answer further questions, according to his statement.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story by foregrounding personal scandal over athletic achievement, using loaded descriptors like "unexpected confession" and "tearful confession." They emphasize critics (not named) who said the admission stole focus from a teammate, include the athlete's regret, and omit the girlfriend’s perspective — shifting narrative toward personal drama.
Sources (3)
FAQ
He won silver in the men's 12.5km pursuit on Feb. 15.
He has won three medals: bronzes in the men's 10km sprint and 20km individual, and silver in the men's 12.5km pursuit.
He made the tearful confession during a post-race interview after winning bronze in the 20km biathlon event.
He issued a statement deeply regretting sharing the personal story, apologized to teammate Johan-Olav Botn and his ex-girlfriend, and stated he would not answer further questions.
She said the infidelity was hard to forgive even after his public declaration of love, that she did not choose to be in the spotlight, and it hurts her.
History
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