As of: February 11, 2024, 7:33 a.m
By: Korbinian Kothny
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Julia Simon has dominated the Biathlon World Cup so far.
In the summer, the Frenchwoman was not allowed to train with her team for part of the time - due to a conflict with teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet.
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Two races, two golds is the Frenchwoman's record in the first three days.
On Friday, the 27-year-old won the sprint after securing gold on Wednesday with the French mixed relay alongside Eric Perrot, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet.
Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet are pretty much best enemies
It was also Braisaz-Bouchet who showed Simon the greatest resistance on Friday in the fight for the first individual gold of this World Cup.
In the end, 4.9 seconds separated the two compatriots.
Braisaz-Bochet and Simon, there was something there?
The two Golden Girls of French biathlon are actually pretty best enemies.
Normally there is radio silence between Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet, communication only takes place via lawyers.
The two have been in a legal dispute since last summer, which is why Simon was briefly in custody at the end of October.
Julia Simon has already won two gold medals at this World Cup.
© IMAGO/PETTER ARVIDSON
Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet file a lawsuit
But why all this?
Braisaz-Bouchet accused the overall World Cup winner of the previous winter of misusing her credit card for orders and had therefore filed a lawsuit.
Simon sees himself as a victim and filed a lawsuit against an unknown person for identity fraud.
“My name was used without my knowledge,” she told Le Dauphine Libere
newspaper
in August.
The Albertville police released Simon after a few hours, but the investigation is still ongoing.
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Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet ignore conflict
The two top athletes apparently cannot be distracted by this.
Also because Simon and Braisaz-Bouchet can separate private and sporting matters.
“We have to stop associating this affair with sport,” Braisaz-Bouchet demanded in her last public statement on the issue before the start of the season: “This is a private matter that has no place in the team or in my own sporting project .” After Simon had to train alone for a long time away from the team during preparation, the dispute was no longer an issue internally.
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Simon were on the podium together, but they will probably no longer be friends.
© IMAGO/Pierre Teyssot
French coach sees advantage in the dispute
In terms of sport, things couldn't be going better for the French biathletes anyway.
In Friday's sprint, Lou Jeanmonnot completed the podium and Sophie Chauveau came fourth.
In the end maybe even because of the cheating scandal?
“Everyone knows by now that we are not dealing with a team of girlfriends, but with a real team of competitors who are there, first and foremost, to express themselves fully in their sport and to be as competitive as possible,” said at least coach Cyril Burdet told the
AFP
news agency .
Simon has been ahead at the World Cup so far, but it is still unclear who will emerge as the winner from the legal dispute.
There will probably be no statements from the two of them in the next few days - in contrast to joint victory celebrations.
(
kk/sid
)