On Wednesday, Norway’s state broadcaster NRK shared a statement by Laegreid in which he apologised both to his ex-girlfriend and Botn.

“I deeply regret bringing up this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon,” Laegreid told NRK – Norway’s state broadcaster.

“I am not quite myself these days, and I am not thinking clearly. My apologies go to Johan-Olav, who deserved all the attention after winning gold.

“My apologies also go to my ex-girlfriend, who unwillingly ended up in the media spotlight. I hope she is doing well.

“I cannot change what has happened, but I will now put this behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not be answering any further questions about this.”

In a news conference on Tuesday, Laegreid had said he hoped he had not “ruined” his team-mate’s day, but insisted: “I stand by my choice.”

Former team-mate Johannes Thingnes Boe – a five-time biathlon gold medallist – told Norwegian state broadcaster NRK that Laegreid was “completely wrong”.