2026 Winter Olympics: French biathlon star wins gold after credit card fraud case

Julia Simon captured her second gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday, topping the women’s 15km individual biathlon despite a turbulent few months in France. Simon, 29, missed only once on the shooting range and overcame a penalty in the first standing stage to take the victory. Her French teammate Lou Jeanmonnot claimed silver, while Bulgaria’s Lora Hristova earned bronze.
The win comes less than a year after Simon faced legal and sporting sanctions for theft and credit card fraud. Last October, a French court found Simon guilty of using the bank card of teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet for online purchases exceeding 2,000 euros ($2,300). Simon admitted the offenses and received a three-month suspended prison sentence and a 15,000 euros ($17,800) fine. She also used the card of a team physiotherapist between 2021 and 2022.