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We were treated to one of the strangest interviews in the history of the Olympics after a biathlete from Norway admitted to cheating on his girlfriend after winning a bronze medal. He was hoping his decision to reveal his infidelity on the international stage would help win her back, but it sounds like he still has some work to do based on her response.
The biathlon can be traced back to ski clubs in Norway that combined skiing and shooting for military training, so it’s only natural that they’ve been the country to beat in that particular discipline since it debuted at the Winter Olympics in 1960.
Norway headed to Milano Cortina at the top of the table when it comes to the most overall medals with 55, and it was hoping to pad its lead over Germany, which trailed them by a single one.
On Tuesday, it was able to add two more to its collection after Johan-Olav Bot won his first medal after clinching the gold in the 20 km individual race. He was joined on the podium by fellow countryman Sturla Holm Laegreid, who secured the bronze and became one of the many Olympic athletes who conducted a tearful interview while reflecting on their achievement.
However, the emotional circumstances of that post-race exchange were very unexpected, as he revealed he was going through what he described as “the worst week of my life” after cheating on his girlfriend, who broke up with him after he came clean about his infidelity right around the time The Games kicked off.
He said he was hoping the woman he called “the love of my life” would forgive him for fessing up on television while noting ” I have nothing to lose,” but if he was hoping for a storybook ending, it has failed to arrive overnight.
The ex-girlfriend of the Norwegian biathlete who admitted to cheating on her at the Winter Olympics had a tepid response to his apology
Laegreid respected the privacy of his jilted ex, and the Norwegian outlet VG also declined to reveal her identity after she asked to remain anonymous while issuing a response to the interview that put her in a fairly awkward spot.
She made it pretty clear she’s not in a rush to absolve Laegreid of his sins despite his bold effort to win her back, saying:
“It’s hard to forgive. Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world. 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.”
She also thanked her family and friends for having her back while saying she also appreciated the outpouring of sympathy from people around the world who were made aware of her situation courtesy of her ex, adding she’s grateful for “everyone else who has thought of me and sympathized, without knowing who I am.”
The 28-year-old Laegreid will have one more shot at a medal at the Olympics, as he’ll also be competing in the 15 km mass start on February 20th.