Biathlon : “You can’t overdo it”, says Julia Simon
Julia Simon had a great season last winter. The 28-year-old biathlete won four world titles in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) – individual, women’s relay, mixed relay and mixed singles relay – and took third place in the overall World Cup rankings.
Now that preparations have resumed with a training camp on the Presqu’Île de Giens (Var), the biathlete from Les Saisies (Savoie) gave Ski Chrono some news, admitting that she needed a break after an intense season.
“I didn’t do any sport for a month! Oh yes, it seemed unimaginable and I clearly didn’t want to hear about skiing or snow. I’d even put the touring skis away, even though I usually love them.It’s really nice to take a break like that and in any case, I feel rejuvenated. [I was mentally very tired,” reveals Julia Simon.
Looking back on last winter, the four-time world champion said she was surprised by her good results at a time when she was going into the season in a state of uncertainty.
“It’s something I wouldn’t have imagined at the start of the season, so I’m very satisfied. It’s surprising because I approached it in a different way to the others and I’ve learnt a lot of things […] I knew that my fitness wasn’t there [at the start of the season, editor’s note] completely. It was a challenge. I managed to get back into better shape for the Worlds, which was my objective for the season.
Preparations for the Olympic year have now begun. Milan/Cortina 2026 is in her sights, even if Julia Simon is not yet fully focused on the event.
” I’m finding it hard to project myself into the future. It’s an important event, but I still want to take it lightly and not overdo it. I want to do what I’ve done over the last few seasons. I don’t want to overdo it. There’s still a lot to do before the season starts. I’m starting again with the desire to begin a new preparation, an Olympic season and new challenges. “
And despite an already impressive list of honours, the counters have been reset to zero, with competition in the women’s team still very strong.
” Everything that happened before is reset to zero. That’s the beauty of it. You can’t rest on your laurels. Sometimes, I admit, I’d like to base myself on certain passages in my CV to convince myself that I’m perhaps a little ahead of the game… But I can’t, we see that the youngsters are progressing and pushing us. “
Read also
- Biathlon | 2025/2026 season: the complete selection of the French women’s A team
- Biathlon | Lenzerheide: Julia Simon crowned individual world champion, bronze for Lou Jeanmonnot
