On the track one after the other for the opening of the biathlon season, Julia Simon, on the podium of the single mixed relay, and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, victorious with the French mixed relay for her return from maternity, took turns in turn responded on Saturday in Östersund (Sweden).
Victorious of the big crystal globe which rewards the best biathlete of the season last March and opposed on the legal ground to Braisaz-Bouchet in a case of bank card fraud, Simon (27 years old), inevitably in the spotlight, showed that she had a sure hand from the first race of the winter: starting in tenth position, she managed to reach the third step of the podium in the simple mixed relay that she formed with Fabien Claude, in serious difficulty on the step shooting (2 penalty rounds).
“It gives you confidence”
“We saw that she was still as strong as ever,” greets Claude. In the cold of Östersund (not far from -10 degrees), generously sprinkled with fresh snow the day before, Simon used three pickaxe bullets for standing shooting, of course, but she was super solid for lying down shooting. “I wanted to do the ‘taf’ and it worked. I think the preparation was good and I wanted to show it in the race”, appreciates the reigning world champion in the pursuit, who had an unusual summer, crossed in solitary away from the French team gatherings, which she only returned to in mid-September.
“I managed to do what I know how to do, there are still some adjustments for tomorrow (for the first individual race of the season, editor’s note) but I am on the right track,” she continues. “It gives you confidence” even if “it’s a relay where there are not the same expectations”. “I managed to approach things like last year, with confidence and also that little bit of stress which makes you push through and put things in place,” remembers Simon.
“When we run individually, I withdraw a little more”
In front of the Simon-Claude duo (at 42.2), it was Sweden of Hanna Oeberg and Sebastian Samuelsson who won, ahead of Norway of Sturla Holm Laegreid and Juni Arnekleiv (at 13.8). Night was already falling on Östersund when the second opening mixed relay, this one involving four biathletes, started shortly before 3 p.m. With, in order, for the French team: Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Emilien Jacquelin, Braisaz-Bouchet and Lou Jeanmonnot.
Braisaz-Bouchet (27) was making her return to competition after giving birth to her first child in early 2023. Her last race in the World Cup dates back to March 2022. “I was stressed and really happy to start in team, because I feel surrounded and it’s warm. It allowed me to lean on my colleagues and to de-stress before the race, she describes. When we run individually, I withdraw a little more. “
Norway beaten
Impeccable behind the rifle, fast on skis, the 2022 Olympic champion is the one who made the difference: starting almost 55 seconds behind the race lead, then occupied by Norway, after the penalty lap carried out by Jacquelin, she launched Jeanmonnot with around 8 seconds ahead of the competition. The last French runner, 10 out of 10 in shooting, did not flinch, and the Blues won ahead of Norway’s Johannes Boe, second at 15 sec 7/10, and Italy, third at 39 sec 7/10 .
“It was a very nice race. I really enjoyed it. We did a very, very good job,” appreciates Braisaz-Bouchet. A promising start to be confirmed on Sunday, with the first two individual races of the winter, two individual races, long-distance events, 15 km on the women’s side, 20 km on the men’s side.