Biathlon: Julia Simon at the start of the individual short race
On Monday afternoon in Joensuu (Finland), as Stéphane Bouthiaux revealed to Nordic Magazine, Julia Simon underwent an MRI scan to check the condition of her left calf. Indeed, the day before, the Beaufort native had to stop her effort in the final lap of the women’s relay in Kontiolahti (Finland), finishing the race bravely and painfully.
Since then, the French staff – who sent the images to a French specialist – have refused to say anything more about the concrete and tangible results of this examination. Late on Tuesday afternoon, the French biathlon boss told Nordic Magazine that nothing would be announced “until tomorrow”, the day of the individual short (start at 4.20pm). In other words, this Wednesday, the day after a day marked by the absence of Julia Simon from the official training session on the eve of the race.
“I hope it’s just a cramp. We’re going to wait for it to cool down and do some tests, explained the six-time world champion in the mixed zone to La Chaîne L’Equipe a few minutes after her mishap. I already have a little weakness there because I tore it in 2018. I had it in the second round, and I managed to adapt on the skis until this last wall. It’s so steep and so demanding […] that I couldn’t stand on the front of my foot any more. It was too painful.’
A decision taken at the last minute, after the warm-up and adjustments
In the end, we had to wait until Wednesday afternoon, almost an hour before the start of the individual short, to find out more about the state of health of Julia Simon, who was present at the warm-up and shooting trials to test herself.
Savoie coach Cyril Burdet gave his health report on the free French biathlon broadcaster: “The news is rather reassuring, but we’re taking every precaution with her so as not to risk anything. The imaging tests are fairly positive and the medical staff are working on it, but we’re remaining cautious and waiting to see how she feels in the warm-up. We’ll make the decision at the last minute and we won’t take any risks.”
In the end, the decision was taken internally after the warm-up: Julia Simon, wearing number 48, would start the opening individual short race of the Women’s World Cup in Kontiolahti. It was at 16:44 that she pushed the gate.
- Kontiolahti: Julia Simon undergoes an MRI scan early this afternoon
- Kontiolahti: still uncertain about Julia Simon’s state of health on the eve of the individual short race
- Julia Simon gives news of her left calf after the Kontiolahti relay: “I hope it’s just a cramp”.
- Julia Simon, walls are springboards
- After the opening relays, what is the programme for the second week of the Kontiolahti World Cup?
