Biathlon: Margaux Achard reflects on Julia Simon’s Olympic triumph
On Wednesday afternoon, Julia Simon from Beaufort became Olympic champion in the individual biathlon in Antholz (Italy). A solo gold medallist for the very first time in her Olympic career, the biathlete from Villard-sur-Doron (Savoie) went down in French biathlon history.
Margaux Achard, a former team-mate on the Savoie committee who has become a close friend, followed this prestigious victory at home. Margaux, who recently became the mother of a baby girl, agreed to pay tribute to Julia Simon for Nordic Magazine.
How she coped with her girlfriend’s coronation
“An Olympic race is always something to live for. And even more so when you know that all the French girls can go in search of a medal, or even a title. Despite her mistake on the second shot, Julia was super diligent; you could really feel her serenity and concentration. An individual penalty can be costly… but it still leaves you in the race. We also know that she rarely misses out on major events, so I wasn’t really stressed! It’s anything but a surprise!
A little girl’s dream come true
“It’s difficult to speak for him, but winning the individual Olympic title was something he really wanted to do. It obviously means a lot, especially after a start to the season when not all the indicators were green. Julia isn’t the type to talk about it every day; she takes it one step at a time. But it’s true that she’s wanted to tick this box for a long time: it was already in the back of her mind at the last Olympics. Starting the Games with two titles is the best thing that could have happened to her!
The progress made since the committee years
“The girls are impressive at the moment, and the fact that we’ve seen their progress since the committee years makes the races even more exciting. We all dreamed of this when we were on the committee, but they believed in it even more. They already had that little extra something that made you know they were going to have a great record! A little extra mental and physical strength, and the confidence that goes with it too. They played up front from a very young age and have always gone on to reach the next level. We can’t be anything but proud to see all these podium finishes over the years. What a list of achievements we have today!
Julia Simon’s ability to react, never stronger than when she’s up against the wall
“It’s a bit of a Julia trademark… The lower she ‘falls’, the higher she ‘rises’. It’s a bit of a truism that you often hear from top sportsmen and women, but that’s really the case with her. She’s never had an easy start to the season, but she’s got the mental strength to deal with those moments. She doesn’t panic, she stays focused on her goals and stays on course… It’s pretty impressive, that kind of management.
The pride of seeing a friend win Olympic gold
“I can’t help but admire all these performances. It’s just crazy! We tend to think that it’s easy to win podium places, as if the French were taking everything in the World Cup… But the Games are something else again! You have to approach the event correctly, stay on top of things despite the stakes, manage to align all the planets on D-Day and make the most of all the work you’ve done in recent years… In short, it’s anything but simple. So a huge well done to Julia, Lou and the rest of the team, because the harvest is far from over! Can’t wait for the rest ✨.”
- Julia Simon becomes Olympic individual champion, Lou Jeanmonnot silver, Camille Bened sixth
- She follows in the footsteps of Florence Baverel and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet: Julia Simon, the third French Olympic solo champion in history
- The crazy figures for the Julia Simon/Lou Jeanmonnot double in the individual event at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
- Julia Simon after becoming Olympic individual champion: “One of the best sporting days of my life”.
- For Julia Simon, a first individual Olympic title after an eventful season
- The photo album of Julia Simon and Lou Jeanmonnot’s incredible double in the individual Olympic event
- What became of them? Margaux Achard
