ANTERSELVA, ITALY — A day after making a stunning admission on live television that he had cheated on his girlfriend, Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegried said on Wednesday that he regretted going public with his private life at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
In an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK after winning the bronze medal in the men’s 20km individual race on Tuesday, Laegried 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 was not well received by critics who said it took the focus away from teammate Johan Olaf Butten, who shot the ball cleanly to win gold in the event.
“I deeply regret sharing this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon,” Laegried said in a statement released by the Norwegian team on Wednesday.
He said: “I’m not myself these days, and I’m not thinking clearly.” “I extend my apologies to Johan Olav, who deserved all the attention after winning the gold medal. I also extend my apologies to my ex-girlfriend, who reluctantly 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 Olympic Games. I will not answer any further questions about this.”
Norwegian newspaper VG said it had been in contact with Laegrid’s ex-girlfriend, who seemed unaffected by his remorseful comments on live air.
“It’s hard to forgive him,” VG quoted her as saying, “even after declaring love in front of the whole world.” “I did not choose to be put in this situation, and it hurts to have to endure it. We have been in contact, and he understands my feelings about this.”
The newspaper did not mention her by name, saying that she was not looking for attention and wanted to remain anonymous.
The post-race interview with Laegrid took an unexpected turn when he switched the topic from biathlon to his personal life.
Holding back her tears, Laigrid said, “Six months ago I met the love of my life. The most beautiful and sweetest person in the world. Three months ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life and betrayed her.” He later said he wanted to tell the world in hopes that she would see how much she meant to him.
Critics said his timing was bad, as he stole the spotlight from Putin, who was overcome with emotion after his victory and paid tribute to his friend and colleague Seifert Guttorm Bakken, who died in December.
“The time and place are completely wrong,” Norwegian biathlete Johannes Thingnes Boe told NRK about Laegrid’s confession.
Retired German biathlete Erich Lesser, who now works as an expert commentator, said he would prefer to see the talk at the Games focus on biathlon.
“Let’s focus again on sports,” he told The Associated Press at the biathlon stadium in Interselva. “I can understand what he wants to happen with his girlfriend. But I just want to think about sports, I want to see sports, I want to talk about sports.”
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