Sturla Holm Rägglid may have won the bronze medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, but in an emotional interview after her victory, the Norwegian biathlete admitted that she had given up on the “gold medal of life” because of an affair with her girlfriend.
“Six months ago, I met the love of my life, the most beautiful and sweetest person in the world. And three months ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her,” a tearful Räglid said in an interview with Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that was translated into English. He brought up the topic, saying he wanted to share his victory with someone who “may not be watching today.” He did not reveal the name of his ex-partner, with whom he left after admitting infidelity.
“I think a lot of people look at me differently now, but I only have eyes for her,” the 28-year-old athlete added. “I’m not sure what I’m trying to say by saying this right now, but sports have been on the back burner these past few days. I wish I could share this with her.”
“I’m not ready to give up. I hope that by committing social suicide[like this]I can show her how much I love her. I accept the consequences of what I did. I sincerely regret it. Maybe I’m stupid as a rock. I’m a member of Mensa, but I still do stupid things,” Raigreed said, apparently trying to win her back.
He added, “I realized that this is the woman of my life. I can’t go through life without telling her that. My only path to my goal is to tell her everything, leave everything on the table and hope that she still loves me. I’ve done it for her and now I’ve done it for the whole world. I have nothing to lose.”
“I want to be a good example, but I have to own up to my mistakes. I have to recognize when I’ve done something I can’t defend and when I’ve hurt someone I deeply love.”
Reiglid’s third-place finish was his first Olympic medal. Norwegian teammate Johan Olaf Botton won gold in biathlon, while France’s Eric Perrault won silver.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Botton was asked about Regreed’s post-match interview, saying his teammate’s infidelity was “not my business” and that his gold medal was a “personal and emotional victory”.
“I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your day, but I think he understands. I don’t want to be in the spotlight today,” Raygreed interjected, apologizing.
At a press conference, he said he didn’t know if opening up about his relationship was the “right choice,” adding, “But it’s a choice I made.”
“Today I made a choice to tell the world what I did, so maybe she will understand what it really means to me,” added Reghlid. “Maybe not, but I don’t want to think that I didn’t do everything I could to get her back.”
