French Olympian Julia Simons seems to be making headlines not just for winning a Gold medal at the Winter Olympics, but also for what she chose to do right after she won.
Keep reading to know more.
French Olympian Julia Simons seems to have upset some people after she won gold in the women’s 15km biathlon. This victory comes four months after she was convicted on charges of fraud.
The athlete was sentenced to a three-month suspension as well as a fine of €15,000 in October last year. The entire thing came about after the 29-year-old Olympian spent more than €2,000 between 2021 and 2022 using the credit card details of her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet.
Simon won first place at the women’s 15km biathlon event, while Justine Braisaz-Bouchet finished 80th.
However, after her win, Simon caused controversy when she raised her fingers to her lips in what seemed to be a gesture where she was ‘shushing’ someone after crossing the finish line.
She told media about the gesture, saying, “I put my finger to my mouth, it was for one person, and they know who because we had a talk. But I won’t tell any more about it, it’s over.”
“I’m just focused on my sport, it is the thing I love the most, I had a goal, and I put all my energy into it. Today was the perfect result for me, it feels like a dream.”
The French Ski Federation had earlier banned her for six months after her conviction but five months of her ban were suspended which meant she was able to compete in the Olympics.
Simon denied initially that she had committed fraud or theft. She insisted that she had herself been a victim of identity theft. Later, she finally admitted to her guilt when photos of the credit card she was alleged to have used were found on her phone.
Simon said she did not remember any of her actions, saying, “I confess the accusations, but I don’t remember committing them, it’s like a blackout,” she called the actions ‘incomprehensible.
She revealed that she was ‘working with a psychologist to understand what happened’.
When the allegations came out, the victim, Braisaz-Bouchet, received a lot of flak.
She said about the whole thing, “It has made a lot of people angry. The story came out in 2023, after Julia Simon’s great season, and for many people, I was the troublemaker.”
What do you think Julia Simons meant with her gesture? Let us know in the comments section on Facebook!
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