Olympic judo champion Riner to run for president of France

Five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner of France intends to run for the post of president of France in 2027.

He announced this on Instagram.

"My name is Teddy Riner, and today I am telling you this looking you straight in the eye. I am running in the 2027 presidential election," he said

The athlete acknowledged that he has no experience in politics, but stressed that France is "increasingly bending under the weight of debt," and "the streets have been handed over to hooligans." Riner noted that he has always fought and knows what it means to fall and rise again, and that he is also familiar with the realities of ordinary French people's lives. "France does not need a professional politician who lectures and idles away entire days. It needs common sense, firmness, justice, and a state that restores order," he emphasized.

The first round of the presidential election in France is scheduled for April 18, 2027. If on that day none of the contenders for the post of head of state wins more than 50% of the vote, the two candidates with the greatest voter support will take part in the second round on May 2. According to opinion polls, the presidential candidate from the left-wing party La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Melenchon, and the candidate from the right-wing National Rally, Marine Le Pen, will be the most likely participants in the final, second round of the election.