French biathlon star Julia Simon won gold in the 2026 Winter Olympics following his six-month ban for alleged credit card fraud.
“I think we’ll all be relieved that he can leave his wallet at home,” he comments Matt Iseman he joked on Sunday, February 8, after Simon, 29, entered the golden zone to celebrate his victory. “She won’t buy anything.”
Last year, Simon, who didn’t immediately address Iseman’s joke, did accused of repeatedly using bank cards belonging to his teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and an unidentified member of the France team for making purchases over 2,000 euros.
“I can’t explain it,” Simon said during the October 2025 trial, apologizing for his actions. “I don’t remember doing it. I can’t make sense of it.”
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Simon then stressed that he had since entered therapy to “understand all of this and grow and evolve.”
“There is no financial motivation for my actions,” he said in his testimony. “Today I’m moving forward day by day because being in front of you will have consequences for my career. It’s ridiculous and derisive because I didn’t need it.”
Simon was found guilty of theft and credit card fraud and was given a three-month suspended prison sentence and a $34,600 fine. The professional athlete was also banned from the sport for six months, which did not interfere their participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“It’s a new beginning for me,” Simon said on Tuesday, February 3. YouTube interview with Biathlonworld. “With this Olympic year, I’m going to put all my energy into training, but then I’m going to do some things (woodworking) for my house, like a table. It’s going to be a good project to think about all the little details and think about something other than the race.”
Team France’s Julia Simon celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win gold in the 4x6km medley relay.
Michael Steele/Getty ImagesSimon further noted that reaching the Olympics has been his dream for “a long time”.
“When you have a big goal like the Olympics, it’s easier to do more and more, and sometimes it can be a bit difficult to stay focused on myself,” she continued. “My goal for the Olympics, I think it’s easy. Every athlete wants a medal. It’s the only thing missing, so I want an Olympic gold medal. It will be the first time I come to the Olympics with a big goal.”
Simon added: “I think I know how to handle that pressure (and) I like that pressure too… It’s a lot of ups and downs, but (I’ve learned to) never give up and trust yourself.”
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Simon also stressed that it has been “amazing to live (his) dream” as he wished for an “amazing” result at the Olympics.
Simon made his Olympic debut in 2022, where won a silver medal in the Mixed Biathlon Relay.
“I tried to focus race by race and think about my biathlon and the next race and not the total score,” he said previously. World of biathlon of his career mindset in a 2023 interview. “The most important thing was to do my best on the shooting range and be very focused. I’m very pleased with my much improved shooting accuracy.”