"This globe, it will not be taken away from me," says biathlete Julia Simon

• At 26, Julia Simon won the Biathlon World Cup with a total of 1,093 points.
• She succeeds Sandrine Bailly, the last French woman to win the big crystal globe in 2005.
• For 20 Minutes, Julia Simon looks back on the path that led her to the top of world biathlon.

If tranquility were an image, it would be that of Julia Simon, sitting down, cup of tea in hand while waiting for our arrival in offices in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Only the crackling of a fireplace was missing to complete the picture, but the idea is there. The 26-year-old biathlete, the new holder of the big crystal globe, is enjoying a grail she hoped one day to reach, but perhaps not as quickly. For 20 Minutes, she looks back on this season dominated from start to finish.

What were your first days like as the best biathlete in the world?

I went home, where a little surprise was waiting for me, with my family and friends. I haven't had too much time to see my friends yet, I can't wait to party! I'm starting to come back down, I've realized what I've accomplished, it's really cool. The pressure has completely subsided. The next few weeks will be to take time and enjoy.

This moment of decompression between two seasons will be important for you. As we saw with Quentin Fillon-Maillet, the following season is not necessarily obvious. Is it in the back of your mind?

I think Quentin had such a crazy season that he must have had a lot of solicitations. His situation taught me to know how to say no and listen to myself. I will have to listen to my body, my head and not leave tired. So I will try to release the pressure. We all make mistakes to learn, we'll see if I make mistakes too. In any case, I will have to take a good break, and it will undoubtedly be one of the most important things to leave with a lot of aplomb and desire.

It's all the more important that you ended the season a little on the kneecaps...

There, it's already a little better. Changing the air and going up to Paris, it makes me feel good. I wouldn't have thought so (laughs)! I felt mentally exhausted. Physically my body could hold, but mentally, it's such a demanding sport in terms of concentration that it became painful. My barrier was this last mass-start of the season. Once passed, there was mental decompression. I wouldn't have been able to do one more race. I experienced a great moment of relaxation with much more fatigue than usual. I felt a weight less on my shoulders.

What did you say to yourself during this moment of relaxation?

That it was phew. That's it, it's done, they won't take it away from me. I didn't allow myself to think until the very last sprint of the season. My brain was on race after race mode. Once the sprint was over, we had a drink with the team, and in the evening I couldn't sleep because my brain was replaying me every moment of the winter. That's when I allowed myself to take a step back from what I had just achieved.

Did your consistency and serenity this season surprise you?

I surprised myself on the sequence of competitions, good races and my ability to revive myself. At one point in the season, I had a discussion with the coach where I explained that I felt that to make a podium was normal. And on the one hand it was normal because I was playing the globe. So certainly I was very happy, but without going too high in the emotions. So, I didn't have this emotional elevator that makes you lose crazy energy. Channeling my emotions has been one of the keys to my season. It was very different from the last few seasons where I was euphoric when I won. This was different. I would take advantage of the podiums and move on. That's kind of the key.

On the one hand, we must not trivialize the podium or even a flower ceremony, because the competition is so strong that it is hard to achieve it. On the other hand, we must not let emotions take over too much. I managed to manage well.

Even the first yellow bib of the season did not cause any emotional jolt?

There was still euphoria! I did a good sprint in Hochfilzen which allows me to win this yellow bib. At first, I told myself that doing the chase in yellow wouldn't change anything. You bet! Once I put it on my legs were shaking. I had a little moment of weakness, I was thinking "wow, I really have the yellow bib", and that's class. I had a great time since I won the race for this first in yellow. It was a highlight and one of the races I was most proud of this winter.

What difference does it make to wear this yellow bib? Do we enjoy a special aura by possessing it?

Yes and no. Personally, it was gratifying to tell myself that I could wear it, to be worthy of it. It almost gave me a new responsibility. On the mass-starts for example, when you are in yellow, on the first lap, nobody passes you. "You're the leader, so work for us!" But I never felt superior. There is a lot of respect between all of us.

This big crystal globe arrives the first time when you had set it as a goal for the next three years. What was this plan and how did it change the way you work?

This road to the big globe was a big goal dotted with lots of small goals to achieve it. With Jean-Paul, my shooting coach, we reworked all the shot. It paid off very quickly, so my goal was to put it in place in the race this winter to gain consistency, get closer to the top 5 of the general classification, gain confidence and play the globe in the following years. In the end, it went faster than expected, especially since physically I felt very good. My weak point was my prone shot, and the fact that I fixed that problem propelled me to the front.

When did you realize that it was not just a good season but that you were playing for the overall winner?

End of February. After the Worlds, it clearly became a goal. I really thought that learning emotions and pressure would take longer. But once I wore yellow, I didn't plan to let it escape because it may not come back in my career.

At the end of the season, all the biathlon followers took out their calculators...

(She cuts) I didn't count, just (laughs).

One shot it was Elvira Oeberg, one shot Vittozzi, the other Wierer, but on the one hand you never panic because you always made the right places, without necessarily winning. Was there in this end of the season the idea of a management, not to cram to go at all costs to win a race but rather to aim for a certain regularity?

There's a little bit of that. But I also had Covid after the World Championships. So I had uncertainty around my form. How am I going to be? How will my body react afterwards? I tried not to panic. I had breathing problems but I adapted by telling myself to save the furniture for the resumption in the Czech Republic (after the worlds) and not to lose too many points. Finally, I'm lucky because I do a 9th and a 4th place. Then behind, we realize that Elvira is not well either, which allows me to stay in front. My goal was clearly to deal with the form of the moment and it went very well. But I was never really defensive. Every time I do it, it doesn't work. So I consider that I have always been on the attack, and never on the restraint.

Finally Covid, it was almost the most stressful in all this...

Totally. We do not know how we will react. Eventually, I had problems breathing. On the day of the individual in Ostersund, I really didn't feel well, I felt like I was having asthma attacks on the slope and I do the best ski time. It was really horrible feeling and apart from that I managed to finish 4th. It's not a podium, but for the general it's worth a lot.

There was also the collective title with the small globe of the relay. How did you experience the decisive race in which you were unable to participate?

That day, my bronchi were too inflamed, it was too limiting. I watched them on the couch. It was a great race but again I didn't do any calculations (laughs)! I didn't know exactly what we had to do to get this little globe. I thought it was enough to beat the Swedes, but in fact we also had to beat the Germans. The girls managed, and that's where you see the strength of our team. We all participated in the relay this winter and it's something strong, we can be proud of it.

Are your most dangerous future rivals in France teams?

I hope so! That's all you can wish for French biathlon. But the plateau is still very dense. There are the Swedes, the Norwegians who will be keen to show that they are coming back strong. There are people.

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