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Julia Simon poses with her gold medal after winning at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Harry How/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Julia Simon won her second gold medal and her first as a solo competitor in the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 11
- The 29-year-old from Team France came in first in the 15km individual biathlon race after finishing in 21st place four years ago in Beijing
- Her victory marks a comeback from a brief ban from the sport after she was found guilty of theft and credit card fraud
After a brief ban from competing, Julia Simon is delivering a gold medal performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 29-year-old biathlete picked up her second gold medal during this year's Winter Games in Italy on Wednesday, Feb. 11, when she won the 15km individual biathlon race. Her first win came on Sunday, Feb. 8, when France won the mixed relay 4x6km.
Reflecting on the win to French television, Simon described it as "incredible" and "incredibly emotional," saying, "It's come full circle, one of the best sporting days of my life," as reported by Reuters.
Her individual win comes after she finished in 21st place in the same competition four years ago at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Simon looked back, saying, "Four years ago, I completely collapsed on that last shoot because I couldn't handle the pressure, because I didn't have what it takes. Today, I got my revenge, and it's incredible."
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Julia Simon with her gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics
FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty
In the race, winners are determined by the time it takes to complete a course, which includes shooting targets and racing on skis. Each shot missed adds a minute to a competitor's time, according to Reuters.
Simon only missed one shot, finishing in first ahead of her fellow Team France competitor Lou Jeanmonnot and Bulgaria's Lora Hristova, who finished in second and third, respectively.
Her success in Italy isn't only a comeback from the 2022 Games. It also marks Simon's return to the sport following controversy last year.
In October 2025, the athlete was found guilty of theft and credit card fraud, according to The Guardian.
Simon reportedly made purchases online that totaled roughly $2,376 using the bank cards of her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and another staff member of the French ski federation.
She received a three-month suspended prison sentence and was fined about $17,820.
“I can’t explain it. I don’t remember doing it. I can’t make sense of it,” Simon said during a hearing related to the trial, according to The Guardian.
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Julia Simon competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty
The following month, ESPN noted that Simon received a six-month ban from the sport by the French Skiing Federation. However, five of those months were suspended, allowing her to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which kicked off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6.
She was also fined another $34,600, though half of that total was suspended by the federation.
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According to her Olympics bio, Simon will compete once more during the 2026 Games when she takes the field on Feb. 21 for the 12.5km mass start. She came in sixth place when she competed in the race during the 2022 Winter Olympics.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
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