France’s Golden Run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina

Published on February 18, 2026, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina are witnessing a spectacular performance from the French team. Follow all the action live on our platforms! This article provides an update on the medal table and highlights key victories.

French Biathlon Team Secures Fifth Gold

Camille Bened, Lou Jeanmonnot, Océane Michelon, and Julia Simon have clinched the Olympic gold medal in the women’s biathlon relay, leaving the competition in their wake. This victory marks the fifth gold medal for the French biathlon team at the Milan-Cortina Games, bringing their total medal count to an impressive ten. This achievement also elevates France’s overall gold medal record for a Winter Olympics, surpassing their previous best of five golds achieved in both 2018 (PyeongChang) and 2022 (Beijing).

Record-Breaking Medal Haul

With the addition of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron’s triumph in ice dance, France now boasts six gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The team is also setting new records for total medals won at a Winter Games, currently standing at 17 across all disciplines. This surpasses their previous record of 17 medals.

A Legacy of Biathlon Excellence

This latest victory in biathlon builds upon a rich history for France, following in the footsteps of pioneers Corinne Niogret, Véronique Claudel, and Anne Briand, who secured the first Olympic title in the sport for France at the 1992 Albertville Games. At the Anterselva venue, the French biathlon team achieved a remarkable ‘grand slam,’ winning all three relay events – mixed, men’s, and women’s – demonstrating their complete dominance in the discipline.

Julia Simon’s Historic Performance

Julia Simon, having also won gold in the mixed relay and individual 15km event, joins an elite group of French athletes – Jean-Claude Killy (1968), Martin Fourcade (2018), and Quentin Fillon Maillet (2026) – as a triple Olympic champion at a single Games edition. “It was a dream, and today the girls allowed me to realize that dream, to bring the flag to the finish line of the Olympic title and share that with them, it’s fantastic,” she shared on France Télévision.

Overcoming Challenges

Coming off victories at the 2024 Nove Mesto and 2025 Lenzerheide World Championships, the French relay team was heavily favored. However, there were concerns surrounding Julia Simon’s health after illness during the sprint and the replacement of Justine Braisaz-Bouchet by Camille Bened. A minor setback occurred when Bened incurred a penalty loop after a challenging standing shoot, but the team’s substantial lead ensured victory.

Teamwork and Dominance

Lou Jeanmonnot led the French team to the front, followed by a stellar performance from Océane Michelon, who built a significant 50-second lead for Julia Simon. Simon then expertly managed the final leg with precise shooting. “It was only the first relay and everything was still possible, I had a very good relay, but Océane also had a stratospheric one, as much as a small error is possible in a relay, as long as the other three do their job, it plays!” Jeanmonnot remarked to Eurosport. Sweden’s shooting coach, Jean-Marc Chabloz, was “impressed” by the French relay, stating, “The French team is the favorite, we are good outsiders. The four girls were stronger than us.”

This victory allows the French team to move past recent off-field issues.

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