Julia Simon, a French biathlete convicted of credit card fraud against a teammate, won the Olympic gold medal in the women's 15km biathlon on [date], while her victim, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, finished 80th. Simon was fined €15,000 and given a three-month suspended sentence in October after admitting to spending over €2,000 using Braisaz-Bouchet's card details, as well as those of the team physiotherapist, between 2021 and 2022.
Simon denied the crime for three years, claiming identity theft, before confessing in court. She stated, 'I confess the accusations but I don't remember committing them. It's like a blackout.' She described her actions as 'incomprehensible' and said she was working with a psychologist. The crimes emerged after Simon had won her first world championship title.
Braisaz-Bouchet faced online abuse following the scandal. 'The story came out in 2023, after Julia Simon's great season, and for many people I was the troublemaker,' she said. The French Ski Federation imposed a six-month ban on Simon, with five months suspended, allowing her to compete in these Games. She also anchored the mixed relay team to gold on Sunday.
After her victory, Simon held a finger to her lips but declined to explain, saying it was for one person. She refused to discuss the conviction or ban, stating, 'I'm just focused on my sport... Yes, it was a difficult month, but today was the perfect result for me.'
The affair is part of a series of scandals in French biathlon. Lou Jeanmonnot, who won silver, previously received death threats from a gambler. Another teammate, Jeanne Richard, was briefly excluded for alleged gun tampering. The sport is also reforming ethics after former International Biathlon Union president Anders Besseberg was sentenced to three years for bribery related to Russian doping.
