French biathlete guilty of fraud wins Olympic gold while scammed teammate comes 80th

February 11, 2026

TL;DR

Julia Simon, a French biathlete, won an Olympic gold medal despite a recent conviction for credit card fraud against her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet.
Simon was fined and received a suspended sentence for using Braisaz-Bouchet's card details, spending over €2,000.
Braisaz-Bouchet finished 80th in the same race Simon won.
Simon also used the card details of the team's physiotherapist.
She initially denied the crime for three years before admitting guilt in court.
The fraud conviction led to online abuse against Braisaz-Bouchet.
Simon was given a six-month ban by the French Ski Federation, with five months suspended, making her eligible for competition.
Simon refused to discuss the conviction or ban, focusing only on her gold medal win.
The scandal is part of a series of ethical issues in French biathlon, including death threats and accusations of equipment tampering.
The International Biathlon Union has also faced scandals, including its former president's resignation due to bribery accusations.

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