Some Olympic athletes broke their medals after celebrating.
The Olympic medal release mechanism causes the medal to come off the string.
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Läggried has apologized after admitting to having an affair with his girlfriend during an interview after winning bronze at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
After finishing third in the 20km biathlon at the Milan-Cortina Games, Räggried tearfully told Norway’s NRK TV about her transgression, explaining how it affected her performance and her desire to mend their relationship. He regrets his decision to go public because his infidelity overshadowed fellow Norwegian Johan Olaf Botton’s gold medal in the race.
“I deeply regret bringing up this personal story on the day of the Norwegian Biathlon celebration,” Räggried told NRK in a statement published on Wednesday, February 11. This statement was translated by the BBC. “I haven’t been myself lately and I can’t think clearly. I apologize to Johan Olaf, who should have been in the spotlight by winning the gold medal.”
“I also apologize to my ex-girlfriend for being the subject of unwanted media attention. I hope she is doing well,” he added. “I cannot change what happened, but for now I will put this behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not answer any further questions on this matter.”
Ray Greed, 28, is also a former gold medalist in the biathlon relay at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and a six-time former world champion in biathlon starting in 2021. Laigreed did not reveal the name of the person he spoke to during the interview, but said he had told her about the affair last week.
“There’s someone you may not see today. Six months ago, I met the love of my life, the most beautiful and best person in the world,” Reigried said from the finish line on Tuesday, according to NRK records. “And three months ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on my girlfriend.”
“I had a gold medal in my life,” he continued. “There are probably a lot of people who look at me differently right now, but I only have eyes for her. I’m not sure what I want to accomplish by saying this right now, but sports have taken second place these past few days. I wish I could share that with her.”
