Norwegian Johannes Boe crushed the biathlon season.
France managed to snatch a little light thanks to Julia Simon at the end of a splendid season.
Gold (pursuit) and bronze (mass-start) medalist at the Oberhof World Championships in February (her first international individual medals), the Frenchwoman has, throughout the winter, been the blue thread of The french team.
The Savoyard lifted the big globe of the general classification of the World Cup in Oslo, the reward of an ambitious, controlled season (5 victories).
At 26, the Albertville native succeeds Patrice Bailly-Salins (1994), Anne Briand (1995), Emmanuelle Claret (1996), Raphaël Poirée (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004), Sandrine Bailly (2005) on the charts. , Martin Fourcade (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and Quentin Fillon Maillet (2022).
The French women's team had been waiting for this crystal shine for 18 years...
Figurehead of the French biathlon team (Quentin Fillon Maillet could not pin any victory), Julia Simon, during the winter, crunched in all the pleasures.
She who in March 2022 had finished the season with a sore left knee and regrets brought back from the Beijing Olympics (a silver medal in the mixed relay could not console the disappointments piled up in the individual races) worked hard during the off-season to stand out from the start.
Relying on a more solid shot (no missed ball in prone shooting during the first 7 races), Julia Simon told Ski Chrono, after her second victory of the season (at Hochfilzen in Austria, after a success during the first stage of the season at Kontiolahti in Finland, at the cost of a crazy comeback thanks to a faultless shot): "
I don't feel like the boss, my name is not yet Marte Olsbu Roeiseland. I feel like I'm living my best life in terms of results and having fun, but not becoming the boss. I feel like I'm taking a huge step, but it's not an end. We have to keep building race after race.
”
Julia Simon, cabinetmaker biathlete
To climb up to the prestigious crystal globe.
Sum of his career.
Julia Simon who started skiing in Les Saisies and has, in parallel with her passion for snow, passed a CAP in carpentry and would like, once her career is over, to become a cabinetmaker, a passion she gladly shares on Instagram.
Symbol of this prosperous season, Julia Simon was able to parade in yellow at Le Grand-Bornand in December.
And then defend his position.
In Oberhof, discreet Julia Simon said: “
Since the beginning of winter, there are expectations.
When I managed to have the yellow jersey (leader of the World Cup in December), few people thought that I was able to keep it.
Finally, as I go along, I show that I have the shoulders to withstand this pressure and these expectations.
At the start of the season, I wanted to find consistency.
Honestly, I didn't think I could find her at such a high level.
I didn't have a big slack.
My worst place is 18th place.
The last three weeks (in the World Cup) are not going to be easy.
There will still be a lot of pressure.
There, it is especially necessary that I recover and that I leave with this aggressiveness that I can have, and the desire to build my races well.
I'll just try to keep confirming,
to do my biathlon.
»
A Covid-19 infection disrupted his end of the season.
Julia Simon suffered but never lost sight of the goal.
Behind her, the threat changed bibs (Swedish Elvira Oberg, then Italians Liza Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer) but the Savoyard continued to aim straight.
The skis had only to accompany him to the crystal delight.
Julia Simon will have, for one winter, succeeded Marie Dorin-Habert (2015) in the world championships, before completing the list of Tricolores winners of the general classification of the World Cup.
After a crazy season.
The French biathlon has proven that it has resources.
