For Julia Simon, this Friday marked the start of a new era. Suspended by the French Ski Federation after her conviction for theft and fraud against her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, the French biathlete returned to competition during the sprint in Hochfilzen (Austria). A smooth recovery in a race won by her teammate Lou Jeanmonnot.
The latter expressed her joy at the microphone of La Chaîne L’Équipe. But the native of Pontarlier also spoke of the threats received by her friend Braisaz-Bouchet, “a golden person who deserves all the love in the world” and who “was broken by all that”.
“For three years, we’ve been used to it, it’s a daily occurrence,” lamented Lou Jeanmonnot. I am deeply disappointed for Justine because she is paying way too much for something she was a victim of at one point. Last week, she received death threats against her daughter. It disgusts me. It’s not normal that it has taken this magnitude. Having witnessed all of this was hard. We feel helpless in the face of human cruelty. »
“I wish it was like when I was a cadet”
This affair inevitably impacts group life and the atmosphere within the France team. “This is not how I would have wanted to live my career as an athlete,” regretted the sprint winner. I would have liked it to be like when I was a cadet, that I went with my friends to training and that I was happy to go, she regrets. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We learned to deal with it. »
However, successes and joys have less flavor. During the first round of the World Cup in Östersund (Sweden), the French women’s relay won the race without Julia Simon, giving free rein to their joy. The next events will undoubtedly be different.
