France's Simon Wins Gold in Women's Biathlon

Julia Simon claimed Olympic gold in the women's 15-kilometer individual biathlon on Wednesday at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, marking the first such victory for a French athlete in the event. Her teammate Lou Jeanmonnot secured silver, giving France a one-two finish in the grueling race held in Anterselva, Italy.

Simon, 29, completed the course in 41 minutes and 15 seconds, missing just one of 20 shots at the range. Jeanmonnot crossed the line 53 seconds later after missing two targets. Bulgaria's Lora Hristova earned bronze with a flawless shooting performance, finishing 1 minute and 4 seconds behind Simon. Germany's Vanessa Voigt placed fourth, 1:17 back, while Italy's Dorothea Wierer was fifth, 1:33 behind. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, another French biathlete, finished 80th, more than eight minutes off the pace.

The individual event stands as the longest and most demanding in biathlon, with competitors starting at 30-second intervals and skiing five 3-kilometer loops. Athletes must shoot prone and standing after each loop, facing a one-minute time penalty for each miss instead of skiing extra distance. Simon's near-perfect accuracy allowed her to maintain a steady rhythm...