Not for the first time, Sturla Holm Lægreid has paid a heavy price for shooting his shot.
Back in December 2023, the Norwegian athlete – a highly-decorated former Olympic champion – was kicked out of the Biathlon world cup after accidentally firing his rifle at the team hotel in Lenzerheide.
No one was hurt but the International Biathlon Union refused to let Lægreid compete, citing a breach of safety regulations. The Swiss authorities, meanwhile, launched an investigation. ‘I am deeply sorry,’ Lægreid said following the blunder. ‘This is a brutal reminder for me and for all biathlon athletes.’
Just over two years on? Tears and another groveling apology. This time, Lægreid’s offense was rather less dangerous but perhaps even more damaging.
In the most astonishing moment of these Winter Olympics so far, the biathlete captured bronze at Milan Cortina and then ‘dropped a bomb,’ using a post-race interview to confess that he had cheated on his ex-girlfriend.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that he went off-piste: Lægreid is a self-confessed ‘showman’ who admits to enjoying the ‘spotlight.’ His side-hustle, meanwhile, is playing the guitar and the 28-year-old has been compared to an ‘artist,’ even a ‘rock ‘n roll’ star.
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid admitted to cheating on his girlfriend of six months
Lægreid won bronze – his first individual Olympic medal – before breaking down on television
The 28-year-old is a keen guitarist and self-confessed ‘showman’ who enjoys the spotlight
‘Cortina 2026 will be historic for me,’ Lægreid predicted before these Olympics. Well, he was right. Just not in a way anyone saw coming.
‘Six months ago I met the love of my life… three months ago I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her,’ he said after the 20km individual biathlon, calling the build-up ‘the worst week of my life.’
The tearful 28-year-old had won bronze – a first individual Olympic medal – but lost ‘the gold medal in life.’ Unfortunately, sympathy has proven rather limited. His scorned ex told Norwegian media that Lægreid’s infidelity ‘is hard to forgive,’ while one Olympic legend compared his outburst to a scene from reality show ‘Ex on the Beach.’
Petter Northug, a two-time gold medalist from Norway, slammed Lægreid for overshadowing his compatriot Johan-Olav Botn. The 26-year-old claimed gold and then paid a heartfelt tribute to late teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken.
Botn pointed to the sky as he crossed the line in memory of Bakken, who was found dead in a hotel room in December.
‘I felt like I was racing with him. I hope he was watching and I hope he is proud of what I was doing,’ the 26-year-old said.
Since then, however, Botn’s victory and poignant comments have been lost in the avalanche of Lægreid’s confession – much to the bronze medalist’s ‘deep regret.’
The 28-year-old is embraced by Norwegian team-mate Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold
Lægreid pictured during the 20km individual race on Monday, when he won Olympic bronze
He apologized to Botn and his ex for hijacking ‘a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon.’ But not before Northug took to social media to vent his fury.
‘Johan-Olav Botn, a training product who has put in an endless number of hours to reach the top… succeeds when it matters the most and becomes Olympic champion! Honours his late friend Sivert. Powerful!’ Northug wrote on X.
‘Teammate chooses to focus on who he has f***ed and who he hasn’t, looking like a total psychic from Ex on the Beach.’
Ex-team-mate Johannes Thingnes Boe – a five-time biathlon gold medalist – told Norwegian media that Laegreid was ‘completely wrong.’
We had been warned that he might make some headlines in Italy. In an interview, published by Biathlonworld on Tuesday, the Norwegian and those around him painted a picture of an ‘artist’ and a ‘creative’ genius.
The biathlete – nephew of a filmmaker and former soccer star – detailed how he became ‘completely hooked’ on rock music around six years old after playing the video game, Guitar Hero.
‘[Music] is like a calming friend to have with me,’ Lægreid said, revealing that he passes ‘hours and hours’ on his guitar.
‘I’m a bit of a showman, really,’ he told Biathlonworld before comparing his sport to playing a gig. ‘I’ve put myself in those situations again and again – dared to step on to stage and take a bit of the spotlight.’
His coach Patrick Oberegger described the biathlete as an ‘artist’ and recalled how, during a recent training camp, Lægreid packed the car to the brim but would not leave without his guitar.
Lægreid was left in tears on live television after making the confession about his love life
The Norwegian star was accused of overshadowing his teammate Johan-Olav Botn (center)
His mother Ingrid Holm, meanwhile, said: ‘He always wanted to create things.’ She didn’t mean headlines but here we are.
‘I feel like I deliver my absolute best when I’m under the most pressure,’ Lægreid claimed in the interview.
That will be put to the test next week, when the Norwegian lines up alongside Botn in the 15km race. He turns 29 on the very same day.
‘Oh, that fits perfectly, that could be historic, you could say,’ he told Biathlonworld. ‘Winning Olympic gold on that day would be ideal. That would be the perfect birthday present.’
As it stands, Lægreid might have more luck standing atop the podium than winning back his ex. It was on the eve of the 20km race that he had a ‘revelation’ and decided to ‘drop this bomb.’
‘I have nothing to lose,’ he thought. ‘I am already hated by her, and I hope that maybe it can make her realize how much I love her,’ Lægreid told NRK – Norway’s state broadcaster.
But his scorned girlfriend, who wants to remain anonymous, wrote to newspaper VG: ‘Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world, it’s hard to forgive.
‘I did not choose to be put in this position, and it hurts to have to be in it. We have had contact and he is aware of my opinions on this.’
On Wednesday, Lægreid vowed to move on. ‘I will now put this behind me and focus on the Olympics,’ he told NRK. Only time will tell if he can land gold on his birthday and secure the ‘happy ending’ he wants for his love life.