The credit card affair involving Julia Simon and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet has put a lasting strain on the French biathlon team in recent months and caused great unrest. All parties have now agreed to peaceful coexistence, but the matter is not yet over.
In the end, the French judiciary will have to decide exactly how the credit card affair involving the two top biathletes Julia Simon and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet will turn out. The case has been with the authorities for weeks, who have to answer the question of whether Simon – as Braisaz-Bouchet claimed – stole her teammate’s credit card and used it to make purchases.
The legal dispute between the two star biathletes is and remains an ongoing issue that has not left the two leading actresses unscathed, as Braisaz-Bouchet explained in an interview with the Swedish TV station “SVT”.
“The topic is not over yet”
“It took a lot of energy and wasn’t easy,” said the Beijing Olympic champion about the last few months. The 27-year-old added that the fact that she knew herself very well helped her a lot during this mentally stressful time. It is crucial for her to be at peace with herself. And according to her own statement, she is.
The whole incident ultimately helped her “get to know myself even better,” said Braisaz-Bouchet, who felt “no anger” toward Simon, but also explained: “The topic is not over yet.”
When asked how she managed to deal with the whole thing so professionally, the mass start Olympic champion said: “It’s my decision, a strong decision. And I’ve made peace with myself.”
“We are here to be biathletes”
Braisaz-Bouchet pays particular attention to the team, which involuntarily plays a role in the conflict and also suffers as a result. This is also why the argument between her and Simon did not escalate any further. “We are here on the team to be biathletes. I respect that,” said the 27-year-old.
And how does she manage to ignore the topic so consistently? “I have decided to accept my responsibility in this matter. And I don’t want the others to be annoyed by this matter. I want the team to do well.”
According to Braisaz-Bouchet, she has not lost respect for Julia Simon as an athlete. It’s “not that hard” to be a good teammate because: “I respect every hard-working athlete we have on the team.”