Biathlon star Julia Simon was legally convicted in the credit card scandal. Now it is clear whether the Frenchwoman faces further penalties.
Julia Simon can breathe a sigh of relief: After the biathlon star was banned by the French Winter Sports Federation for six months (five of them on probation) due to the credit card scandal, the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) has refrained from further punishment.
It was announced that the BIU will not take any further action against the 29-year-old, as it is “satisfied” with how the matter was resolved by the French court and the national ski association.
Biathlon star Julia Simon was banned because of the credit card scandal
Appropriate penalty for biathlon star
After the court in Albertville announced the verdict on the ban, the BIU dealt intensively with the case and came to the conclusion that the ban imposed was an appropriate penalty.
At the end of October, BIU Chairman Greg McKenna spoke of a range of sanctions that could be imposed on Simon. At the time, there was talk of “a reprimand or warning up to a ban.”
Simon confesses in court
The top athlete will only miss the World Cup opener on November 29 in Östersund, Sweden. The second stage will take place from December 12th to 14th in Hochfilzen, Austria. In addition to the ban, Simon was also sentenced to a fine of 30,000 euros by the FFS National Disciplinary Committee after her hearing, of which 15,000 euros were suspended.
Simon confessed in court on October 24 that, from 2021, she repeatedly used the bank cards of her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and a physiotherapist from the French team for purchases totaling up to 2400 euros and stole small amounts of money (between 20 and 50 euros). After the confession and a public apology, Simon was sentenced to a three-month suspended sentence and a fine of 15,000 euros.
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