French judo legend and Olympic medallist Teddy Riner announces presidential bid

Published on 9 November 2026 - 13:35 GMT+1•Updated 13:49 French judo star Teddy Riner, the winner of five Olympic gold medals, declared on Monday that he was a presidential candidate, with less than six months to go until the election in the spring. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In an interview with French daily Le Parisien, Riner said he was neither "left nor right-wing" but aspired to be a candidate of unity. He added that he did not intend to end his sporting career, but instead sought to participate in the 2028 LA Olympics, should the public allow him to do so. In a video posted on X, he said "France does not need a professional politician who lectures and bickers all day. It needs common sense, goodness and a state that puts things as they should be." The 37-year-old said he expected people to view him as "crazy", having not had a prior career in politics or the "right connections." Despite this, he said "if refusing to bow to pressure and refusing to accept chaos makes me crazy, then yes, I am completely crazy." "I won't be among those who stand by and watch the country burn, looking for excuses. My life hasn't been spent behind a desk. Fighting has always been a part of who I am. I know what it's like to struggle, to fall, and to get back up, time and time again," he stated. With less than six months to go until France's presidential election, the far-right National Rally party's Marine Le Pen is leading the polls with 36%, according to an IFOP poll for broadcaster LCI conducted from 27 to 29 October. She is followed by the hard-left France Unbowed's Jean-Luc Mélenchon, with an estimated 17.6% of voting intentions.