Adulterous Norwegian Biathlete’s Appeal Denied

It is so easy to yield to temptation. My head might know a path leads only to shame and regret, but my heart urges me to take one step, and then another. It started on Tuesday, with news that Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid chose, for some reason, to use the occasion of his bronze medal–winning performance in the men’s 20km to confess on live television that he cheated on his girlfriend and desperately wants her back. Well, I thought, surely there is no harm in devoting some of my mental resources to learning more about this. Twenty-four hours have now passed and I can think of nothing else. At some point in the dead of night I accidentally learned how to read Norwegian. These vowel combinations look totally normal to me.

The immediate details were compelling and strange. Lægreid told Norwegian broadcaster NRK, "There is something I want to share with someone who may not be watching today. Half a year ago, I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful and nicest person. Three months ago, I made the mistake of my life and cheated on her, and I told her about that a week ago. This has been the worst week of my life." Weeping, he went on to explain that "I had the gold medal in life, and I am sure there are many people who will see things differently, but I only have eyes for her. Sport has come second these last few days. Yes, I wish I could share this with her."

Thanks to a helpful Defector commenter, I learned that this declaration was even more ill-timed than I imagined, given that the gold medalist, fellow Norwegian, Johan-Olav Botn, also dedicated his win to someone no longer with him—their teammate Sivert Guttorm Bakken who was found dead in his hotel room in December.