Biathlete Laegreid admits infidelity after winning medal and asks girlfriend for forgiveness

Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid provided one of the most emotional moments of the day after winning a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics. Shortly after the race, he publicly admitted that three months ago he had cheated on his girlfriend, whom he described as "the love of his life," and openly begged her for a second chance.

In interviews with the media, he said that he had only told her the truth a week before the race and that the last few days had been extremely difficult for him mentally. He explained his decision to speak publicly by saying that he did not want to live with this secret.

Laegreid admitted that sport had taken a back seat for him recently, especially after the death of his teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken in December.

He later added that he was aware of the possible embarrassment surrounding gold medalist Johan-Olav Botn, but insisted that he accepted the consequences of his actions and sincerely regretted his mistake.

(reuters, mja)