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French Judo superstar Teddy Riner says will run for president

Judo star Teddy Riner has announced his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential elections, against a backdrop of political tension across France.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 2 sources•2 min read•Updated November 10, 2026, 6:35 AM UTC
Key points
  • France's multiple Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner announced on Monday he would run in next year's presidential election, after expressing concern about the "rise of the far right".
  • Riner, one of the greatest judokas in history, said in the two-minute-37-second video that he feared France could soon become deeply divided, appearing to cast himself as a candidate for voters unwilling to choose between two political extremes -- the far right and the hard left.
  • The athlete, who has never held political office but is one of France’s most recognizable and popular sporting figures, portrayed himself […].

French judo superstar Teddy Riner, a five-time Olympic gold medalist and multiple world champion, has announced that he is running for president of France in 2027 in a fiery speech posted on social media.

"My name is Teddy Riner and today, I am telling you face to face: I am a candidate in the 2027 presidential election," the 37-year-old said in a surprise announcement on social media.

Additional details
  • FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Yves Sintomer, Professor of Political Science at Université Paris VIII.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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