Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid, who won the bronze medal in the 20-kilometer individual race at the Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympic Games, gave a striking statement about his personal life.
According to Milli.Az, speaking to NRK television channel, the athlete admitted to cheating on his girlfriend. Lægreid was unable to hold back tears during his speech.
He stated that there is a special person with whom he wanted to share his success, but that person probably did not watch the race:
"Six months ago, I found the love of my life. She was the most beautiful and kindest person I have ever known. But three months ago, I cheated on her and made the biggest mistake of my life," the athlete said.
Lægreid noted that he revealed this truth to his girlfriend a week ago and called those days the hardest period of his life:
"That was the worst week of my life. In recent days, even sports became secondary for me. I have always tried to be a good example, but I made a big mistake and now I have to take responsibility for it."
The 28-year-old biathlete also highlighted that he decided to speak openly about the matter one day before the race:
"I was given the chance to experience true love, and I destroyed it with my own hands. Maybe I don’t deserve to be forgiven. But if I am given even the smallest chance to tell her how much I loved her, I am ready to commit social suicide live on air," Lægreid added.
It should be noted that Sturla Holm Lægreid won his first Olympic medal in the individual event on February 10. He is also a seven-time world champion and the current World Cup winner.
