Prison pursues the world champion on charges of fraud

The French judiciary issued a three-month suspended prison sentence against dual competitor Julia Simon and fined her 15,000 euros ($17,493) on charges of credit card fraud and theft, raising doubts about her participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Simone, the 2023 World Cup winner who carries France’s hopes of winning a medal in Milan-Cortina, admitted “all the facts” before the Albertville Criminal Court and apologized to her two victims, her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and the team’s physiotherapist.

French media quoted Simone as saying in court, “I’m sorry… I can’t explain my behavior. I had to work with a psychiatrist to understand the matter and recover from it.”

The French Skating Federation said in a statement that its disciplinary committee would meet “as soon as possible” to consider Simon’s case.

Prosecutors pointed to two frauds carried out using the victims’ bank cards, and Simone had previously denied any wrongdoing, saying in 2023 that her name had been used without her knowledge, and that she had filed a complaint for theft of her identity.

This issue has shaken French duo sports ahead of the Milan and Cortina Olympics, which start on February 6th.

Simone, 29, won ten gold medals at the World Championships.