French judo champion announces presidential bid while aiming for 2028 Olympics

Five-time Olympic gold medallist Teddy Riner has announced that he will run in France's forthcoming presidential election, saying he wants to stand as a candidate of unity rather than identify with either the left or the right.

The 37-year-old judoka made the announcement on Monday with less than six months until the election. He said he did not intend to end his sporting career and would like to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if the public allowed him to combine the two ambitions.

Riner acknowledged that he had no political experience or established political connections and expected criticism of his decision. In a video shared online, he argued that France needed good sense, goodwill and a government able to put things in order, rather than more conflict between career politicians.

His sporting record includes individual heavyweight gold medals at the 2012, 2016 and 2024 Olympics and mixed-team golds at the Tokyo and Paris Games. He has also won 11 world titles. The bid puts a prominent sporting figure into an already competitive presidential contest.