Julia Simon is on the road to redemption.
Despite a conviction for theft and credit card fraud four months prior – resulting in a suspended three-month jail sentence – Julia Simon won the gold medal in the women’s 15-kilometer biathlon at the 2026 Olympics on February 11th.
The accomplishment made her the first French woman to win an Olympic gold in that race.
“It feels like a dream,” said the 29-year-old runner after winning the 9.3-mile race in 41 minutes and 15 seconds, according to ESPN. “It’s amazing—this is a race I’ve always dreamed of running.”
I truly enjoy training, racing, and competing – it’s what matters most to me. I had a clear goal, and I dedicated all my effort to achieving it. The past few months were challenging, but I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come, and today’s race was exactly what I’d hoped for.
Julia faced uncertainty after admitting to stealing credit cards from teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and a French team staff member. She used them to make over 2,000 euros (about $2,377) worth of online purchases, as reported by ESPN.
At the trial in October, Julia said she was sorry for what she did, but she couldn’t explain why she did it.
She admitted she had no explanation for what happened, saying she didn’t remember it and couldn’t understand why she’d done it, according to reports.
Following a hearing, the Olympic athlete received a six-month ban, with five months of it suspended. This athlete had previously achieved significant success, including ten world titles and a silver medal for France in the mixed relay at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
In addition to her other penalties, she was ordered to pay a fine of 30,000 euros (about $34,600 USD). Half of this fine (15,000 euros) was suspended, and she has six months to pay the remaining amount. The money will be used to fund training programs for up-and-coming biathletes.
Although the trial’s outcome threatened Julia’s chances of competing in the 2026 Olympics, the French Ski Federation chose to reduce her suspension, enabling her to participate in the Milano Cortina games, according to ESPN.
I was absolutely thrilled to watch Julia compete! Not only did she win gold in the women’s 15-kilometer biathlon at the 2026 Olympics, but she also teamed up with Lou Jeanmonnot, Eric Perrot, and Quentin Fillon Maillet to win gold in the mixed relay on February 8th. It was an incredible performance, and I couldn’t be prouder!
Keep reading for more noteworthy moments to come out of this year’s Winter Games…
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto is surprised by her score in the women’s singles free skating team event.
Speedskater Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands cried tears of joy after discovering she’d broken the Olympic record in the women’s 1,000-meter race.
China’s Eileen Gu competes in the women’s freestyle slopestyle—which earned her a silver medal.
After his performance in the men’s singles short program, U.S. skater Maxim Naumov held a photo of his parents, who have passed away, close to his heart.
A composite image shows off the many tricks seen in the women’s freestyle slopestyle.
Figure skater Ekaterina Kurakova of Poland celebrated her performance in the women’s singles short program with teammates, holding up a stuffed pierogi – a popular and iconic Polish food.
No, it’s Team Austria’s ski jumper Julia Muehlbacher.
Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp of Austria zoom by during the luge women’s doubles.
The figure skating team who won the event took a selfie with a special Olympic Edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 while celebrating on the podium.
Lindsey Vonn, a U.S. skier, appeared focused and determined while training just days after suffering an ACL tear in a crash.
Alysa Liu, representing the United States, performs a Biellmann spin during her short program in the women’s single skating competition.
Jennifer Dodds of Team Great Britain looked very anxious while watching the curling mixed doubles round robin match against South Korea.
Snoop Dogg,serving as an Olympics correspondent for NBC, tries his hand at curling at a practice.
Oh my gosh, Evan Bates and Madison Chock together on the ice? It’s just… magic! Seriously, watching them do their rhythm dance is like seeing two halves of a whole. They’re so in sync, it’s like they were born to skate together. They just fit, you know? It’s perfect!
Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to play hockey for the U.S. in the Olympics, competes against Sara Cajanova of the Czech Republic during their game.
Oh my gosh, you guys, did you SEE Valentino Guseli?! He was just… amazing. And the sweetest! I was watching the big air qualifiers, and after his run, he went over and gave Jakub Hrones from Czechia the biggest hug. It was such a genuine moment, honestly! Valentino is just the best, supporting everyone even while he’s crushing it himself. I have the screenshot saved, obviously.
Bulgarian ski jumper Vladimir Zografski hits the brakes during a training session.
Korey Dropkin, an American curler, celebrated with a shout after his team won against Switzerland in a mixed doubles curling match.
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2026-02-11 21:48