Strange Incident at the Biathlon World Championships – Dominant Winner Nearly Collided with the Barrier

In the women’s relay at the Biathlon World Championships in Lenzerheiden, the French team displayed an astonishing level of dominance. The French squad, featuring Lou Jeanmonnot, Oceane Michelon, and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet alongside anchor Julia Simon, built up an almost two-minute lead over Norway by the final shooting stage. The final margin was one minute and four seconds at the finish line.

During the final leg, Julia Simon, in a moment of exuberance, not only enjoyed the final lap but also threw a thumbs-up gesture to the crowd as she approached the finish. However, this gesture carried risk – when she directed her salute towards spectators behind a barrier, the barrier itself toppled and nearly caused a collision with Simon. Commentator Kaisa Mäkäräinen expressed astonishment at the dangerous turn of events, noting that had Simon not managed to avoid the mishap, it could have disrupted the race.

Elsewhere, potential medal contenders from Switzerland saw their hopes dashed in the relay. Once considered one of the medal favorites, the Swiss team's performance crumbled, leaving them in a disappointing fourteenth place. Swiss biathlete Lena Häcki-Gross, despite using her reserve ammunition, struggled through four penalty laps, drawing bemused reactions from both the audience and commentators.

The article also mentions that in last year’s World Championships, Julia Simon celebrated four gold medals in similar relay events, and she now has a chance to further improve her record in today’s mass start race. Meanwhile, Norway secured the second position in the relay, and even Finland, starting last, climbed to fifteenth with help from Suvi Minkkinen.