The first ball, the last, plus one in between: with three penalty minutes inherited from three missed targets, Simon was unable to secure a place on the podium despite the best ski time: she finished fifth, 1 min 21 sec from Oeberg.
With a 19 out of 20 in shooting, the eldest of the Oeberg sisters was ten seconds ahead of her compatriot Linn Persson, author of a clear round, and of 28 seconds the Italian Lisa Vittozzi, who lost victory at the same time. time as his ultimate ball.
The individual, the longest format in biathlon (15 km for the women's race), definitely suits Oeberg: the 27-year-old Laplander had already been crowned Olympic champion in the specialty in 2018, world champion the following year. , and silver medalist at the Worlds two years ago.
Swedish Hanna Oeberg, crowned individual world champion, on February 15, 2023 in Oberhof © CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP
"I forgot the title"
"I had forgotten the title (won in pursuit on Sunday), I really wanted to start from scratch, to put the work back in place. I felt like I was in a good state of mind" but " I torpedoed my race on my own", summarizes Simon.
The Frenchwoman Julia Simon during the individual, at the Biathlon Worlds, on February 15, 2023 in Oberhof © Christof STACHE / AFP
"I am very satisfied with the ski I produced, it is a very positive point, especially in the second week of the World Championships, it shows that my form is there", positive the 26-year-old Savoyard, almost 40 seconds more faster than Oeberg on the track on Wednesday.
"But there were too many mistakes on the shooting range, she regrets. I'm disappointed because I had the legs to go for a good run."
In the absence of a successful race, Simon has identified an axis of progression.
"It's often like that with me: as soon as I really have the form in skiing, I find it difficult to concretize behind the rifle, it's a point to work on for the next few years, she explains. But it's frustrating today."
Her rival N.1 for the big crystal globe in the World Cup, Elvira Oeberg, the youngest of the siblings, already sick for the pursuit, also gave up the individual.
Boe aims for seven out of seven
Like the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland, but it was for her, who only started her winter in January after being weakened by two viruses in the off-season, to preserve herself for the next races at Oberhof.
Norwegian Johannes Boe poses with his pursuit gold medal during the Biathlon Worlds on February 15, 2023 in Oberhof © Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP
Starting with the single mixed relay on Thursday afternoon, a non-Olympic race but in which it will be associated with the one who reigns supreme over these Worlds, Johannes Boe, according to the official starting list.
Already four times gold medalist in as many races contested in the Thuringian Forest for a week (sprint, pursuit, individual and mixed relay), Boe is therefore tackling an unprecedented sevenfold.
After the simple mixed relay, he will have two races left: men's relay on Saturday and mass start on Sunday.
If he wins in the mass start, he will become the very first biathlete to win all four individual events in the same edition of the World Championships.
Neither Ole Einar Bjoerndalen or Martin Fourcade succeeded.
In the wake of Simon, another Frenchwoman invited herself into the top 10, Lou Jeanmonnot, seventh with two faults, more than two and a half minutes behind Oeberg.
Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet, 16 out of 20 in shooting, ranked twelfth, more than three minutes away.
© 2023 AFP