Julia Simon: The Crystal Season

Because beyond the immense technical challenge, the biathlete from Les Saisies also had to tame her competitive temperament. "It required work on my personality: I am someone very energetic, things need to move quickly," acknowledges Julia Simon. "We also did a lot of mental work to find relaxation behind the rifle, because I am someone very dynamic."

And in biathlon, when you shoot well and ski fast... you play at the front. A recipe that seems easy when written down like this and one that Julia executed perfectly throughout the season. A glance at the statistics is enough to illustrate her almost metronomic consistency.

In 24 individual races:

• She stepped onto the podium 12 times (a ratio of 1 in 2...), including 4 times on the top step.
• She only fell out of the top 5 six times and out of the top 10 three times!

Not to mention, of course, her World Championship title obtained in Oberhof in the pursuit and her bronze medal in the mass start.

"A GLOBE, IT'S NOT DEFENDED, IT'S WON"

This season, Julia Simon has become the boss of the women's biathlon world. Through her performances, of course, but also through her attitude. On skis or behind the rifle, she never gave up defending her yellow bib, acquired on December 8th during the 5th race of the season.

Where some might have "played it safe" to ensure success, Julia chose the opposite path: attack. Because as she puts it so well, "A globe is not defended, it's won." She perfectly demonstrated this in the head-to-head races she loves so much, with a standing shooting that often ignited the fans and demoralized her opponents. Is it a coincidence that she also won the small globes in the mass start and pursuit?

While she seemed to sail through her season serenely, always smiling, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Beaufortaine. There was the Covid she caught after the Oberhof World Championships, the Antholz-Anterselva pursuit with its 7 misses, a new status to take on... But just like on her prone shooting mat, Julia didn't panic. Focused on her biathlon and the technical moves practiced countless times in training, she went on to conquer the Holy Grail of every athlete in the white circus.

By adorning herself with crystal and world gold, Julia Simon has checked off several of her biathlete dreams. While she is aware of having entered the history of biathlon and French sport, the Savoyard keeps both feet firmly on the ground: "Biathlon is an eternal cycle. I'm not immune to missing out on my winter 2024. You have to rework every time, ask yourself the right questions, and set yourself small goals."

So, see you next winter, Julia!