Surprising turnaround in the French biathlon women’s rifle scandal. In an official statement, the national federation (FFS) denied media reports that Jeanne Richard tampered with Océane Michelon’s weapon.
Was there no rifle scandal in the French women’s biathlon team? Despite several consistent media reports and detailed information about the incident, the national association (FFS) officially rejected the allegations against Jeanne Richard on Wednesday.
“Contrary to certain rumors circulating in various media, no misconduct was found between two athletes of the French biathlon team,” the FFS said. What the association admitted, however, was that things weren’t going so smoothly behind the scenes.
Association admits violation of rules in biathlon team
“At the start of the season, the association dealt with a breach of team rules which, following an investigation, resulted in a penalty,” it said. The association did not provide any further details. So it remained unclear what type of rule violation it was. The FFS also did not reveal who committed it and what punishment was given.
Several French media outlets have reported in recent days that Jeanne Richard is said to have tried to manipulate her teammate Océane Michelon’s rifle. More details gradually came to light. For example, the incident happened in Pokljuka and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet caught her teammate in the act.
The reports match: Richard was missing from training camp at the beginning of the summer. There was never an official reason for her absence. According to media reports, this was in connection with the Pokljuka incident, which, according to the association, never happened.