So it is: Full confession in the biathlon credit‑card scandal

French biathlon world champion Julia Simon has fully admitted guilt in the credit‑card case involving her French national teammate Justine Braisaz‑Bouchet.

Appearing before the criminal court in Albertville, the 29‑year‑old said she admits “all the acts.” The case centered on purchases totaling about €2,300 that were delivered to Simon’s address and were allegedly made using the cards of Braisaz‑Bouchet and a staff member of the French biathlon team. The alleged offenses occurred during a training camp in Norway in the summer of 2022.

Following her confession, Simon was sentenced to a three‑month suspended prison term and fined €15,000. Prosecutors had requested a two‑month suspended term and a €20,000 fine. Sport‑specific consequences in the Olympic season are not currently expected. Stéphanie Baudot, lawyer for the French Ski Federation (FFS), said it is important for the athletes to regain composure and concentrate on the sporting challenges ahead.

Simon apologized to Braisaz‑Bouchet and to a team staff member, while stating she cannot consciously explain her behavior. She told the court she is working with a psychologist to understand her actions, grow, and move forward. The athlete had initially denied the accusations and even filed a complaint for identity fraud against unknown persons, and she was temporarily excluded from national‑team training in 2023 and briefly held in custody in October of that year before being reintegrated for the subsequent winter. Relations between Simon and Braisaz‑Bouchet were initially frosty, conducted only through lawyers, but the pair had seemed reconciled in recent months, even celebrating successes together.