French biathlete Julia Simon, multiple world champion and Olympic medalist, has been found guilty of theft from teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet. The court in Albertville handed Simon a suspended three-month prison sentence and a fine of €15,000 for stealing funds via unauthorized transactions.
The case, heard on October 24, revealed that several other members of the French national team — Anaïs Chevalier, Chloé Chevalier, Caroline Colombo, and Lou Jeanmonnot — had also reported missing money or belongings while staying with Simon. However, only Braisaz-Bouchet filed a formal complaint, and the court’s ruling concerned her case alone.
Following the criminal judgment, the French Ski Federation (FFS) convened its disciplinary commission on November 6, 2025. Based on the court documents and the internal investigation, the commission announced the following sanctions:
- A six-month ban from all FFS- and IBU-sanctioned competitions and training sessions, with five months suspended (probationary);
- A fine of €30,000, half of which (€15,000) is suspended, payable within six months to the federation to fund youth biathlon programs.
The suspension takes effect immediately from November 7, 2025, ruling Simon out of the World Cup season opener in Östersund (Sweden), scheduled for November 29. However, she remains eligible to compete at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Olympic Winter Games, provided no further disciplinary action is taken.
Both the federation and Simon retain the right to appeal the decision within seven days of notification.
