This is how biathlete Simon experienced her return

“I’m happy with my performance. I feel like a train that’s starting now. But I’m still a little behind and trying to catch this train,” said Simon on ARD. After a shooting error, she was more than a minute behind her victorious teammate Lou Jeanmonnot.

The 29-year-old Simon was sentenced to a three-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 15,000 euros in a credit card affair on October 24th. The French Ski Association had banned her from competing and training for six months – although five months of that were on probation. So she just missed the start in Östersund.

Simon asks himself questions and finds answers

“It wasn’t easy, especially the media part was very difficult,” said Simon. “But I learned a lot in my life and about life.” At home, she explained, she asked herself a lot of questions. “What do you do in life, will I ever get back to the World Cup? And it was always the same answers for me: Yes, I love it, I still have a few good races ahead of me.”

Simon had confessed to ordering goods worth around 2,500 euros online using stolen credit card details from her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (29) and a team physiotherapist. Their situation is now correspondingly difficult. Before the race she seemed isolated, warming up a bit off to the side.

“We are competitors, no one is friendly to me, and we have a good team,” she said after the race. “Everyone wants to go to the World Cup, and that’s always very difficult.” The situation was fine for her, she added: “I’m here for sport.”