French Olympian Julia Simon wins Gold after being banned from the sport

French biathlete Julia Simon just clinched the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, despite coming back after a short ban.

Julia became the Olympic champion of the 15km individual biathlon race on February 11, 2026. This is her second gold medal at the Winter Games this year. Her first came on February 8 with France in the mixed relay 4x6km

French Olympian Julia Simon's road to becoming an Olympic champion had quite a few challenges

Olympian Julia Simon clinched two gold medals in team and individual biathlon races on behalf of France. However, the French athlete had to serve a brief ban after she was charged with theft and credit card fraud.

According to reports, in October 2025, Julia was found guilty of using the bank cards belonging to her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouche and also a French ski federation staff. The 29-year-old biathlete reportedly used the cards for online purchased amounting to approximately $2,376.

After being charged, Julia was fined around $17,820 and was given a three-month suspended prison sentence. According to reports, while on trial, the biathlete had said that she does not remember committing the crime.

The French Skiing Federation had given out a six-month ban from the sport and was fined $34,600. However, the federation later suspended five months from the sentences and reduced her fine to half, allowing her to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Despite all odds, she came back strong and became a Olympic champion. The moment, in her words has been emotional and special.

“I can’t explain it. I don’t remember doing it. I can’t make sense of it,” Simon said during a hearing related to the trial, according to The Guardian.

In the previous edition of the Winter Olympics (Beijing, 2022), Julia had not fared well, and had finished in the 21st position. She had attributed her performance to her inability to handle the pressure at the moment. Four years later, her win has been redemptive in more ways than one.

Julia Simon's run at the Winter Games is not yet over. She will also compete in the 12.5km mass start on February 21, 2026.

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