Teddy Riner announces run for French president in 2027 election

Judo legend Teddy Riner says he will run for France's presidency in 2027 while still competing, and Emmanuel Macron says he is delighted.

10 Nov 2026, 02:181 min read

Judoka Teddy Riner, five-time Olympic champion, smiling in a judogi at a press event. — Image: Le Monde

Teddy Riner is running for president of France. The judoka, a five-time Olympic champion, announced on Monday 9 November that he will be a candidate in the 2027 election.

He calls himself "neither right nor left" and says he wants to go "all the way". Driven by social anger and a wish to unite the French, he says "we can lift France up". He is not hanging up his judogi either: he still plans to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

His campaign starts in the coming days, with a first trip imminent. Among his backers is François Braun, a former health minister.

Reactions came fast. President Emmanuel Macron said he was "very happy" that Riner is "joining the debate", adding that it "can only bring something to the country". Former rugby boss Bernard Laporte called the move "courageous". Former president François Hollande and Guy Drut were more reserved.

Riner had already been one of the faces of Paris 2024, where he lit the Olympic cauldron and won his third individual gold.

#teddy riner#judo#france#presidential election#2027 election#emmanuel macron

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