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Norway’s Laegreid Wins Biathlon Bronze, Then Admits Cheating on Girlfriend on Live TV

He framed the on-air mea culpa as a bid to win back a partner he told about the affair a week earlier.

Overview

  • In a live NRK interview moments after the 20km race, the 28-year-old said he was unfaithful three months ago and told his partner a week ago, calling it the biggest mistake of his life and the worst week he has experienced.
  • The bronze marked his first individual Olympic medal, with Johan-Olav Botn winning gold and France’s Eric Perrot taking silver as Laegreid hit 19 of 20 targets.
  • He later told VG he hoped that “committing social suicide” by going public could help him reconcile, after acknowledging the relationship ended when he confessed last week.
  • At a news conference he apologized for possibly overshadowing Botn’s victory and said he was not in the right state of mind during the interview.
  • Teammates offered mixed reactions to the revelation as international coverage questioned whether such personal disclosures belong in post-race interviews, and no sporting or institutional actions have been reported.