One in five voters say they'd back Teddy Riner for president in 2027

A judo champion running for the Élysée sounded like a joke to plenty of people on Monday. By Tuesday, a poll suggested it isn't one. According to a survey by the Ifop polling institute, 22% of French people say they would be ready to vote for Teddy Riner in 2027.

What does the poll say?

Ifop carried out the survey for the TV channel LCI and the radio station Sud Radio. It was published on Tuesday, the day after Riner announced his candidacy.

The question was simple: if Teddy Riner ran in the 2027 presidential election, would you be ready to vote for him? 22% of respondents said yes. That is more than one voter in five.

The same poll found that 70% of French people have a "good opinion" of the five-time Olympic judo champion. Being liked and being voted for are two different things, of course.

How did we get here?

Riner won his fifth Olympic title at the Paris 2024 Games, in the team judo event, in front of a home crowd. On Monday, he announced in a video that he was running for president.

The video has already passed 25 million views across his X and Instagram accounts. Reactions came fast. President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the move, saying it "can only bring something to the country".

Other coverage describes the decision as a surprise for political analysts, though Riner had spoken publicly before about the situation in France. He describes his choice as "carefully thought through" and says he wants to "lift France up".

So, is he really a contender?

Here comes the cold shower: a poll, like any opinion survey, is a snapshot of the moment. It has no predictive value.

Saying you'd be "ready" to vote for someone is a long way from actually doing it in the booth. The presidential election is still less than a year and a half away, and Riner now has to turn his popularity into a platform.

For now, one thing is clear: his announcement has shaken up the early campaign, and plenty of people are paying attention.