Behind the calm of the shooting range and the smiles on podiums, the French women’s team has recently been shaken by a series of scandals more reminiscent of a crime column than a winter sports section: credit card fraud, suspected equipment tampering, and death threats aimed at athletes and even a child.
The most explosive case involves one of France’s biggest stars. Julia Simon, world champion and cornerstone of the French women’s team, was convicted after admitting to fraudulently using the bank card of her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, as well as that of a team staff member. She is also suspected of other thefts by her team mates.
Simon made unauthorised online purchases, ordering action cameras. She denied all responsibility for three years before eventually acknowledging the theft in court this autumn. She received a three months’ suspended prison sentence and a €15,000 fine.
For a sport that prides itself on values of integrity and fair play, the shock was immense. Trust inside the team has been dealt a blow and the image of a tight-knit, supportive squad has taken a serious hit. The French Ski Federation imposed a one race suspension on Simon. What might have remained a painful internal affair soon spiralled into something far darker. As news of the conviction spread, online abuse exploded. But instead of remaining focused on the perpetrator, the anger turned viciously toward the victim.
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and her family have become targets, with one message, not directly related to the Simon affair, crossing a red line: a death threat directed at her young daughter. The French ski federation was forced to publicly condemn what it described as “unqualifiable acts”, while teammates and figures across biathlon expressed their disgust. Braisaz-Bouchet said the Simon affair "has made a lot of people angry, the story came out in the media in 2023 after Julia Simon's great season, and for many people, I was the troublemaker. It hurt me. And that lasted two and a half, three years, and for people, it was my fault." She said she's stepping back from social media and letting a third party handle her contractual engagements.
Quentin Fillon-Maillet, leading skier in the men's team said the events had created “a certain distance with the women’s group” and that the situation had “touched the image of biathlon in general.” He described the atmosphere as fragile and noted that the male squad had, at times, tried to insulate itself from the problems in the women's team. Controversially he commented that “the women’s group has always been more complicated to manage than the men’s,” adding that tensions predate the recent scandals. Rumours are that Justine Braisez Bouchet and Julia Simon both from the Cross Country ski mecca of les Saisies have been rivals since school.
That a criminal case between adults could result in threats against a child laid bare the ugliest side of modern sports fandom amplified by social media, anonymity and tribalism.
Braisaz-Bouchet is not the only team member in the firing line. In a separate but equally disturbing episode, Lou Jeanmonnot revealed she had received death threats from a gambler, furious over betting losses linked to her performances. The messages, sent directly to the athlete, were explicit enough to prompt public outrage. Once again, the pattern was clear: results on the track triggering violent hatred off it, with athletes expected to absorb abuse as just another occupational hazard.
As if legal cases and threats were not enough, the team was rocked by a final controversy this time on the snow. Young biathlete Jeanne Richard was accused of handling and potentially altering the rifle sights of teammate Océane Michelon during a World Cup event. In biathlon, where millimetres decide medals, tampering with a rifle is among the most serious breaches imaginable ethically and in terms of safety. Richard denied any intent to sabotage, and team officials insisted the matter was dealt with internally. However she was not allowed to train with the squad at the start of the summer which commentators take to be a punishment.
Taken individually, each incident is serious. Taken together, they paint a troubling picture: a women’s biathlon team pushed to its limits, France's problem is that they currently have a wealth of riches on the women's side of the sport and competition for places on the world cup circuit is fierce putting a lot of stress on team members. In the past the French coaches had complained that the girls were not competitive enough with each other, it seems they have got their wish.
It is not the first team to have difficulty. Lisa Vittozzi and Dorothea Wierer have a frosty relationship after Lisa Vittozzi accused Wierer of missing a relay race: "We were first and second overall for the world cup, she rested for the relay and I didn't. I took it badly, I didn't agree with that choice and it made me nervous. I was no longer calm, I had reached my limit." In fact it took Vittozzi, at the time a rising star of Italian biathlon, two years to get over the incident. Since then Wierer has since trained with the mens' team.