Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid made a deeply personal confession after securing the bronze medal in biathlon at the Winter Olympics on Tuesday, admitting publicly that he had been unfaithful to his girlfriend and openly asking for a second chance.

Speaking to Norwegian newspaper VG, Laegreid explained his decision to reveal the truth.
“I realized she is the woman of my life, and I can’t spend the rest of my life keeping this secret from her. The only way to fix it is to put everything on the table and hope she will continue to love me,” he said.
“I did it for her, and now for the whole world. I have nothing to lose,” he added.

The emotional disclosure came during an interview with Norwegian state broadcaster NRK after the race, which was won by Laegreid’s compatriot Johan-Olav Botn, with France’s Eric Perrot finishing second.

Struggling to hold back tears, Laegreid said there was someone with whom he had hoped to share the moment, though he was unsure whether she was watching. He explained that six months earlier he had met what he described as the love of his life, calling her the most beautiful and kind person he knew.

He went on to admit that three months ago he had made what he considered the biggest mistake of his life by being unfaithful, adding that he had confessed the truth to her a week earlier, a period he described as the worst week of his life. While acknowledging that sporting success might have changed how people viewed him, he stressed that his feelings remained focused solely on her.

Laegreid added that recent events had shifted the place sport held in his life and concluded by saying he wished he could share the moment with her.