Painting bleak picture of France, Olympic icon Teddy Riner announces presidential run

France’s newest presidential contender didn’t come out of left field. He climbed off the tatami mat. Five-time Olympic gold medal-winning judoka Teddy Riner announced Monday on social media and in an interview with French daily Le Parisien that he is running for his country’s presidency next spring. “Fighting has always been a part of me. I know what it’s like to fight, to fall down and to always get back up,” Riner said in a video on X announcing his bid. “France doesn’t need a professional politician who recites talking points and spends all day bickering. It needs common sense, firmness, justice and a government that sets things right.” Riner, who was born on the French-administered Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, told Le Parisien that he did not see himself as a candidate either on the left or the right of the political spectrum, but rather as someone well-suited to combat what he called a rising sense of dread and resignation among people both young and old. “France is a great country. It has allowed me to become the person I am today and has given me the opportunity to dream big. Today, that’s what’s missing. That ambition is gone; that hope is gone,” he told Le Parisien. The 37-year-old joins the race at a pivotal moment, as a crowded field of moderate candidates continues to lose ground to the far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen and far-left hopeful Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Repeated polls in recent weeks have shown that the election, which goes to a two-person runoff if no candidate clears 50% of the vote in the first round, looks headed for a showdown between Le Pen and Mélenchon — both of whom want to fundamentally reshape French government and the country’s relationship with Europe. Riner’s entry into the race is not a complete surprise, as he hinted at a possible presidential run last year, despite having no political experience. But it has the potential to upend the contest given he’s one of France’s most recognizable and popular athletes. After lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, he became one of his country’s biggest heroes at the Games, capturing both an individual gold medal and winning the tiebreaker that netted the French mixed judo team a spot on the top of the podium. The unity and pride France showed at the Olympics, Riner told Le Parisien, helped lay the foundation for his presidential ambition. “I saw an entire country come together, proud and happy. Then it fell apart a few weeks later. I told myself: If we could do that for fifteen days, we must be able to do it for the country,” Riner said. “What finally pushed me to take the plunge was this past fall: the anger, the anxiety, and the feeling that no one was addressing these issues. I realized that I had to do my part.” Riner said that his entry into politics would not spell the end of his judo career, even opening the door to competing in Los Angeles in 2028 while also serving as president “if my position allows it and if the French people give me permission.” He also joked about a potential first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. “A lot of people around me have been telling me about their first handshake with Donald Trump. We’ll see who has the firmer handshake,” Riner said. This article has been updated.