French heavyweight will not be able to compete for his 12th world championship title in Baku
The renowned French judoka Teddy Riner will not compete at the World Championships, which will be held in Baku from October 4 to 11.
The reason for the 37-year-old athlete's withdrawal was an injury to his right shoulder, sustained during training in the summer. Riner has not yet been able to fully recover, and the French Judo Federation confirmed that the pace of his rehabilitation will not allow him to take part in the world championship. Previously, because of this same injury, he missed the Lima Grand Prix and the Grand Slam tournament in Lausanne. Doctors recommended a three-week program to strengthen the shoulder, which was operated on back in 2013. Thus, Riner has missed the opportunity to compete in Baku for his 12th world championship title in the over-100 kg category, where the competition will take place on October 10. The Frenchman last competed in an individual tournament at the 2024 Games in Paris, and because of his long absence he dropped out of the IJF rankings. Despite the break, Riner is aiming to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which could be the sixth of his career.
