Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin 10:10 p.m., January 5, 2023, modified at 10:14 p.m., January 5, 2023

Julia Simon finished second in the Pokljuka sprint behind Sweden's Elvira Oeberg on Thursday.

The French thus retains her yellow bib as leader of the World Cup.

Invited to the program "Europe 1 Sport", the biathlete has revised her goals for the start of the season upwards.

New podium for the new year: Julia Simon, at the top of the general classification of the Biathlon World Cup, started 2023 by taking second place in the sprint in Pokljuka (Slovenia) behind Sweden's Elvira Oeberg on Thursday.

"I'm really very satisfied with today's race with a good shot and good sensations", noted the biathlete in the

Europe 1 Sport

program (every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.).

This is the sixth podium of the season in nine individual races for Simon, who thus retains a 61-point lead over the Swede in the general classification (546 against 485).

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"I have matured"

Both Oeberg and Simon signed a 10 out of 10 on the launch pad, but the Scandinavian was faster on skis, in spring conditions in the middle of January, and will start six seconds ahead of the Frenchwoman at the start of the pursuit on Saturday.

"I fell on stronger than me in skiing but I'm really happy with the shot," said Julia Simon.

With only one missed target lying down since the start of winter, for 79 hits, the biathlete from Les Saisies maintains an astonishing success rate of 99% in this position (86% standing).

"I have matured. I have done a lot of work over the past two seasons on my shot, especially which I was lacking," explained the biathlete from the France team, who can now revise her goals upwards.

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Succeeding Sandrine Bailly

The one who wears the yellow bib of the leader of the general classification of the World Cup with in particular 76 points on her runner-up Elvira Oeberg aims "At the start of the season it was not really a goal, the goal was to get victories in the World Cup. But it's true that the more time passes, the more this jersey becomes a goal" even if the French prefer to be cautious: "for me the Globe is still far away."

The last Frenchwoman to have won this big Crystal Globe was Sandrine Bailly in 2005. Julia Simon therefore hopes to have "the honor of succeeding her".

But for that, the French will have to continue to perform throughout the season.