Credit card fraud and weapons tampering: The bad blood at the heart of France’s biathlon dominance

After a day in which biathlon – not a traditionally high-profile sport – has unexpectedly dominated the headlines, comes another result which may generate yet more unwanted attention. Norway and France are widely expected to clean up at this Winter Olympics, and, so far, results have gone according to expectations: the French quartet dominated the opening event, the mixed relay, while Norway took gold and bronze in the men’s 20km individual and France the final podium spot. France took positions one and two in the women’s 15km individual on Wednesday.

The two countries are the most dominant in the world. But in the case of the French women’s team, that comes at a price.

Because the squad has found itself more in the news for off-track drama and scandal than for its sporting prowess. Most baffling is the long-running saga of Julia Simon, one of France’s biggest medal hopes across the entire Games, and already a double gold medallist at these Games. She produced a heroic final leg of the mixed relay before winning the women’s 15km individual in dominant fashion on Wednesday, 53 seconds clear of her nearest rival, teammate Lou Jeanmonnot.

But Simon may well have never made the Olympic squad at all. The 29-year-old served a one-month ban with a further five months suspended after being convicted of credit card fraud in October, having stolen the cards of a team physiotherapist and her own teammate, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, in 2023. After much denial - including an initial defence that she had had her identity stolen - and two years of this rumbling in the background, she finally admitted it in court, receiving a three-month suspended prison sentence as well as a suspension by the French Ski Federation (FFS).

Prior to these Games, Simon was a Beijing 2022 silver medalist in the relay and had 13 world championship medals. She is not just one of France’s best athletes but also one of their best under the pressure of a major championship.

To that end, it was unsurprising – although still disappointing – that her punishment for theft and breaking the trust of her teammate was essentially a slap on the wrist and only a one-month ban. That meant she only missed one round of the World Cup circuit, and has had plenty of time to get herself back to peak condition and racing form since then, right in time for what the French federation expects to be a gold rush in Antholz-Anterselva.

Braisaz-Bouchet found herself unhappily and unwittingly at the centre of another, even more egregious scandal among her teammates. The 29-year-old caught Jeanne Richard red-handed tampering with teammate Oceane Michelon’s weapon before a World Cup race in Pokljuka, Slovenia last March, a cardinal sin in the sport and a gross attempt to steal points at Michelon’s expense. The pair were both vying for the under-23 title and to cement themselves in a fiercely competitive team.

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Ultimately, Michelon won the title, but the scandal may have had a delayed effect on both of them. Richard was banned from attending the French team’s first three training camps of the summer off-season as resentment festered. Neither has found the same form this season, and Richard has been demoted to the second tier of elite racing, the IBU Cup – but because of her results, not her behaviour.

The matter was dealt with internally, both Richard and Michelon said. But it feels a cynical decision to put sporting results over integrity, with no more than a slap on the wrist for Richard, too, as well as profoundly unfair on Michelon to keep her competing alongside someone whom she will never again, for good reason, fully trust.

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And Braisaz-Bouchet, who at her best is one of the fastest skiers on the tour, appears to have struggled significantly as a result of all this drama, with erratic performances on the shooting range and middling results. She was not granted a place in the mixed relay; instead, Simon led the team home to glory. Braisaz-Bouchet was 80th in the individual on Wednesday, having missed eight of 20 shots, and may miss out on a starting berth in the sprint race on Saturday.

Simon held a finger to her lips as she crossed the line and said: "Now, I'd like to be left alone, honestly, because I read some things last night that weren't pleasant. I proved I belong here today, and I have even proven myself before. I don't have anything left to prove to anyone, and now I'd like to be left alone to do my biathlon. The past is behind us within the team.”

Is it?

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All this means the French women’s team is an unhappy place to be, despite dominating the World Cup circuit, particularly in the form of Jeanmonnot, the current leader of the overall standings. In a sport that is simultaneously individual and a team effort, with athletes all training alongside each other and fighting for relay results together, all this bad blood must make for an uncomfortable atmosphere in hotel rooms - athletes often share on the circuit - and at team dinners.

Simon has two golds from two races already and remains a favourite in the remaining sprint, pursuit, mass start and women’s relay races. She could win six medals from six events, such is her form.

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But her very presence at the Games, having largely escaped punishment, drags up old questions of what sorts of behaviour sports can tolerate in pursuit of success. To what extent can you prioritise sporting success over standing up for what’s right? Are Simon’s Olympic chances worth more than Braisaz-Bouchet’s peace of mind; is Richard’s talent worth more than Michelon’s? One gets the sense that even two gold medals and counting won’t be enough to tip the balance.