Biathlon: a scare for Julia Simon in the first round of the mixed relay at the World Championships
The mixed relay at the biathlon world championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) was full of twists and turns on Wednesday afternoon. Between Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold’s empty run, the Czech Republic’s podium finish and Sebastian Samuelsson’s fall in the very last metres, the many spectators were well catered for on this first stage of the World Championships.
😬 It’s off to a bad start for Julia Simon!
The Frenchwoman falls with Sweden’s Anna Magnusson in the first round of this mixed relay!
Follow the Biathlon World Championships live on the L’Équipe channel #lequipeSKI pic.twitter.com/8ePiMRtHIF– la chaine L’Équipe (@lachainelequipe) February 12, 2025
And those weren’t the only notable race incidents. At the very start of the race, Julia Simon collided with Sweden’s Anna Magnusson on one of the downhill sections of the Swiss course. It was an inconsequential fall, although there was some damage.
The Frenchwoman ended up on the ground with a broken stick, while her opponent suffered a broken ski. However, the Beaufortaine native was able to put this incident to one side to secure the win and put France in the lead.
“I was just schussing along beside her and I got caught in a bit of snow. The piste is very difficult and it’s hard skiing because you sink so deep,” she told La Chaîne L’Équipe in the mixed zone. My left foot clipped the right and I fell like a giant on the Swede. It’s something that’s happened in the past.
A disagreement between the two camps
As soon as the Scandinavian finished, the two competitors exchanged a few words on the subject: “I’m embarrassed and a bit conflicted. I’m glad I was able to hold on after that fall, which gave me a huge blow. I didn’t know where I was when I got up and found myself without a stick. I don’t feel I made a mistake. We had a chat and we didn’t agree. These things happen,” says the Savoyard.
“It’s very sad that it happened like that and I don’t think it’s my fault either,” Anna Magnusson told SVT Sport. Julia Simon was embarrassed to speak to us, but hoped that the Swedish staff would not lodge a complaint.
“I feel bad for them but they also turned on the oval during the second stint”.Julia Simon on La Chaîne L’Équipe
“I feel bad for them but they also spun on the oval during the second stint and that’s not my fault. Starting a stint is a responsibility and when that’s not the case, you feel guilty,” admitted the Frenchwoman. I have the impression that I put a spanner in their works, but you also have to know how to manage these moments of difficulty. If they want to make a claim, I think that’s also part of the sport and we shouldn’t play on that because it happens to everyone.
Read also
