Legendary French judoka and five-time Olympic champion Teddy Riner has announced that he will run in France’s 2027 presidential election. The athlete plans to launch his election campaign in the coming days but has no intention of ending his sporting career.
This was reported by Le Monde, citing an interview the 37-year-old athlete gave to Le Parisien.
Riner said he identifies with neither the political right nor the left. He wants to become a president who unites the French people.
“I hear anger that some politicians exploit with a great deal of negativity, even though they themselves no longer have any ambition or desire to think big. But France is a great country. It allowed me to become who I am and gave me the opportunity to dream big,” the judoka said.
According to Riner, he is running to show that France is capable of overcoming its difficulties.
The main priorities of his future platform include combating racism and reforming the pension system to reflect demographic changes. At the same time, Riner supports preserving the pay-as-you-go pension system based on solidarity, while not ruling out elements of funded pensions.
He also commented on the October protests by French high school students. Riner considers their demands justified but stressed that protests should not interfere with the education of those who want to study in peace.
The athlete has promised to present a more detailed election platform later.
According to Riner, he has already assembled a team of approximately 20 people, including representatives of civil society, civil servants and a former minister. In the coming days, he plans to begin meeting voters across France and register an organization to run his campaign.
In a video posted on social media, the judoka addressed potential criticism over his lack of political experience.
“I know what people will say about me: he’s crazy, he’s an outsider, he doesn’t know the rules of the game, he’s never been involved in politics. But I will not be among those who watch the country burn while looking for excuses,” Riner said.
Despite his political ambitions, the eleven-time world champion has no plans to leave judo. He has also not ruled out competing at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, provided his future responsibilities and French voters allow it.
