Justine Braisaz-Bouchet - more than just a Beijing 2022 biathlon gold medallist

Justine Braisaz-Bouchet may have just become a biathlon Olympic champion, but she is so much more than that.

While many elite sportswomen and men, by their own admission, become selfish in their pursuit of glory, nothing could be further from the truth for the Frenchwoman.

It wasn't so long ago that she took a trip to Asia in order to undertake volunteer work.

"I always wanted to experience such a thing, it was in Nepal," she told Olympics.com after her Beijing 2022 victory. "It was a few years ago.

"I like children, I love people, I like feelings with people and I’ve always been like this.

"I also love my sport and I feel really lucky today."

In the world of professional sport, where so many athletes struggle to cope with the burden of expectation in what can be a pressure-cooker environment, perhaps this balance was the key to Braisaz-Bouchet's victory in Zhangjiakou's National Biathlon Centre on Friday (18 February).

"I was so shocked I had won. I'm really happy to say that I'm Olympic champion. It's quite amazing. It's a really big feeling and I want to thank my family, my husband, especially for him. A big thank you to all the team and the people who support,” the 25-year-old continued.

"Today, I was just really calm and happy, even during the race. I really wanted to take part in this race, and felt really, really calm during the race. I didn't think about results or anything or the girls around me. I was just racing my own biathlon and in the moment."