Julia Simon, who is currently suspended by the French federation, is currently preparing for the coming biathlon season on her own. This is not always easy for the ten-time world champion. One of the things that causes her problems is shooting.
While the French biathlon women are in Bessans these days to get the finishing touches for the season opener in Östersund, the suspended Julia Simon is around two hours’ drive further west in La Féclaz, where she is clocking up her kilometers alone. This isn’t always easy for her.
Shooting coach Jean-Paul Giachino told the newspaper “L’Équipe” that he was in regular contact with Simon via text messages. A video call has already taken place between the two. “We maintain normal communication,” he said.
Which causes problems for Julia Simon
Simon follows a special training program, says Giachino. Especially because she doesn’t have to be in top form in Östersund yet. She won’t be able to complete her first World Cup appearance until two weeks later in Hochfilzen at the earliest. For this reason, their load management is different than the rest of the team.
Simon’s shooting training is also going differently, although not entirely according to plan. “She has a little more trouble maintaining her concentration throughout an entire session when it comes to shooting,” the coach revealed. “That’s the feedback she gave me.”
The coach’s solution: fewer shooting units. “So close to the season, with her experience and skills, she no longer needs quantity. She has to focus on quality [der Einheiten] focus,” explained Giachino.
The coaches can only speculate as to what condition Simon will be in when he returns to the team in a few weeks. Head coach Cyril Burdet said: “We’ll wait until the ban is over and then we’ll see what level of performance she has. We have to find a way to assess her fitness.”