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There’s a chaotic energy emanating from this year’s Winter Olympics in Milan.
In less than a week since the start of the Milan Cortina Games, several scandals have eclipsed the sport – like environment protests; ski jumpers allegedly resorting to penis injections of hyaluronic acid so they can achieve long jumps (dodgy dick doping, if you will); Czech ice dancers Kateřina Mrázková and Daniel Mrázek skating to an AI-generated track; French biathlete Julia Simon winning a medal three months after being convicted of stealing her teammate’s credit card; and reports that this year’s gold medals aren’t all that sturdy and falling apart.
The latest burst of messiness is a cheating scandal – and not the sports kind.
It concerns Norwegian Olympian, Sturla Holm Laegreid, who took home bronze in the biathlon.
Instead of joyfully thanking the snow gods during his post victory interview, he used his win to confess he’d cheated on his girlfriend.
“There’s someone I wanted to share it with who might not be watching today”, he began, as he broke down in tears during a live interview with broadcaster NRK.
“Six months ago, I met the love of my life – the most beautiful and kindest person in the world. Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her. It’s been the worst week of my life.”
“I told her about it a week ago, and then it ended, of course. I am not ready to give up.”
Laegreid went on to call the speech “social suicide” but hoped it would “show how highly” he loved her.
Oh, buddy…
The confession of infidelity on live TV has gone viral online, and the internet has made Laegreid its Milan 2026 target of choice.
“If you love someone you don’t cheat. He’s just using this to manipulate her into taking him back. Don’t do it girl!”, one user posted, while another said: “Probably not a great call to embarrass her like this on a global stage.”
“Men will do anything (including compete in the Olympics) BUT take accountability”, another user joked.
The woman Lægreid cheated on has since responded to his breakdown, and she’s not exactly swooning over the public declaration.
She told Norwegian outlet VG: “Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world, it’s hard to forgive.”
She added: “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.”
As if the cringe factor wasn’t high enough, Laegreid then released another statement to VG, saying: “I deeply regret that I brought up this personal story on what was a joyous day for Norwegian biathlon. I am not quite myself today, and I am not thinking clearly.”
While we don’t recommend burying guilt and recognise that confession is good for the soul, hijacking the news cycle with your incapacity to keep it in your spandex may not be the smartest move.
Until the next scandal…
The 2026 Winter Games end on Sunday 22 February.