Norwegian biathlete regrets tearful TV confession overshadowing teammate's Olympic gold medal

ANTERSELVA, Italy (AP) — A day after a stunning confession on live television that he had cheated on his girlfriend, Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid on Wednesday said he regrets going public with his private life at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

In an interview with Norwegian network NRK after winning bronze in the men's 20-kilometer individual race on Tuesday, Laegreid revealed on camera that he had been unfaithful “to the love of my life” in an apparent attempt to win her back.

However, his tearful confession didn't go down well with critics who said it took the focus away from teammate Johan-Olav Botn who shot clean to win the gold medal in the event.

“I deeply regret sharing this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon," Laegreid said in a statement issued by the Norwegian team on Wednesday.

“I am not quite myself these days, and not thinking clearly,” he said. "My apologies go to Johan-Olav, who deserved all the attention after winning gold. They also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight. I hope she is doing well. I cannot undo this, but I will now put it behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not answer any further questions about this.”

Norwegian newspaper VG said it had been in contact with Laegreid's ex-girlfriend who appeared unmoved by his remorseful comments on live TV.

“It’s hard to forgive (him). Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world,” VG quoted her as saying. “I didn’t choose to be put in this position, and it’s painful to have to endure it. We’ve been in contact, and he’s aware of my feelings about this.”

The newspaper didn't name her, saying she wasn't looking for the attention and wanted to remain anonymous.

The post-race interview with Laegreid took an unexpected turn when he switched the subject from biathlon to his personal life.

“Six months ago I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful, sweetest person. And three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her,” Laegreid said, fighting back tears. He later said he wanted to tell the world in the hopes she would see what she means to him.

Critics said his timing was poor, stealing the spotlight from Botn, who was overcome by emotion after his victory and paid tribute to his friend and teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken who died in December.

“Both the time and place are completely wrong,” Norwegian biathlon great Johannes Thingnes Boe, told NRK about Laegreid's confession.

Retired German biathlete Erik Lesser, who now works as an expert commentator, said he would rather see the conversation at the Games focus on biathlon.

“Let’s concentrate back on the sport,” he told The Associated Press at the biathlon venue in Anterselva. “I can understand what he wants to have happen with his girlfriend. But I just want to think about sport, want to see sport, want to talk about sport."

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn, of Norway, center left, and bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, center right, pose with their team after the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Silver medalist Eric Perrot, of France, from left, gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn, of Norway, and bronze medalist Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, pose after the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

ADDS NAME OF TEAMMATE - Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, reacts after he won bronze as teammate Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold comforts him after the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, reacts after he won bronze in the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Sturla Holm Laegreid, of Norway, reacts after he won bronze in the men's 20-kilometer individual biathlon race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Anterselva, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych trained again in his banned helmet Wednesday, one day before the start of his race at the Milan Cortina Games and with the International Olympic Committee urging him to make his point differently.

Heraskevych came to the Olympics with a customized helmet showing the faces of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed during their country's war with Russia, a conflict that started shortly after the 2022 Beijing Games ended.

But the IOC said Monday night that the helmet wouldn't be allowed in competition, citing a rule against making political statements on the Olympic field of play. Heraskevych wore the helmet for training Tuesday and Wednesday anyway, knowing the IOC could ultimately keep him from the Olympic race.

The IOC planned to talk to Heraskevych again Wednesday to discuss what would be allowed, spokesman Mark Adams said. Adams said those words about an hour before Heraskevych's first training run of the day, so it wasn't immediately clear when or if that conversation would occur.

“We will reiterate the many, many opportunities that he has to express his grief," Adams said. "As we discussed before, he can do so on social media and press conferences in the mixed zone. So, we will try to talk to him about that and try to convince him.

"We want him to compete. We really, really want him to have his moment. That’s very, very important. We want all athletes to have their moment and that’s the point. We want all our athletes to have a fair and level playing field.”

The IOC has offered Heraskevych a chance to wear a black armband in competition as a display of his grief and mourning of countrymen, even though such tributes are typically not allowed. Adams said that represents a compromise; Heraskevych said he's not interested.

“I think the way that we hope that we can deal with this is on a human level. … We will have conversations with him to try to explain that actually it’s in everybody’s interest for him to compete and for him also to be able to say what he wants to say," Adams said. "So, I’m not saying that we have a solution, a ready solution, for this. But I think here, it’s better for people to talk to people and for human interaction, hopefully, to win the day.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych holds up his crash helmet during a press conference following a skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Moore)

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych holds up his crash helmet during a press conference following a skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Moore)

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych arrives at the finish during a men's skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)