Julia Simon Claims Gold in Lenzerheide, Joining Elite Ranks of Biathlon Champions
Lenzerheide, Switzerland – A week after securing a gold medal in the mixed relay, Julia Simon has added another title to her collection at the Biathlon World Championships, triumphing in the women’s 15km individual race on March 14th, 2023.
The 28-year-old Frenchwoman dominated the competition, clocking the fastest time of 41 minutes and 27.7 seconds on the scenic Lenzerheide course. Her impeccable shooting, with 19 successful hits out of 20, propelled her to victory, securing her eighth world title and placing her alongside France’s legendary biathlete Marie Dorin-Habert in the sport’s pantheon.
"It’s a small source of pride," Simon confessed, her voice filled with humility. "I’m thrilled to have reached this milestone alongside such an accomplished athlete."
Lou Jeanmonnot, who had also triumphed in the mixed relay alongside Simon, claimed the bronze medal, finishing 39 seconds behind the French champion. Sweden’s Ella Halvarsson secured the silver medal, just 37 seconds behind Simon despite a clean shooting performance.
The top-ranked German biathlete, Franziska Preuss, had a chance to snatch the gold but faltered on the final standing shoot, missing two targets and ultimately handing the victory to Simon.
"I lost focus and failed to regain my concentration," Preuss said, expressing her frustration. "The wait for the first shot was too long, and I lost my composure. It’s frustrating, but there’s nothing we can do about it now."
Simon’s victory marked a remarkable turnaround after a setback in the mixed relay where a fall left her shaken. "The fall had a tremendous emotional impact on me, more than I realized," she admitted. "It was challenging to regain my focus on the shooting range, and I felt a profound fatigue. I didn’t anticipate how deeply it would affect me physically."
She had finished seventh in the sprint and 12th in the pursuit, leaving her below expectations. "This victory is particularly sweet," Simon said. "My thoughts are with my family and friends who have supported me through these difficult moments. There are worse things in life than setbacks in sports. They helped me put things into perspective."
Jeanmonnot, the reigning individual world champion, had been the pre-race favorite but faced adversity after a troubled start. However, she rallied with a strong mental performance, securing her bronze medal. "After the first shot, I thought I was doomed to a mediocre race," she said with relief. "But I fought back and ended up competing for a podium finish until the very end."
Simon’s victory underscores her dominance in the individual discipline, where she remains undefeated this season. Her triumph in Lenzerheide cements her status as one of the greatest biathletes of her generation, adding to her impressive resume of four individual world titles, three bronze medals, a silver medal from the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the coveted overall World Cup title in 2023.
