Five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner announces bid for France's 2027 presidency

The announcement

Teddy Riner, the French judoka with five Olympic gold medals, said on Monday, 9 November 2026 that he is a candidate in France's presidential election of 2027. He made the announcement in a video posted to his social media accounts, in which he spoke to the camera while seated in front of a bookcase, wearing a white shirt under a dark jacket. The 37-year-old, whose family roots are in Guadeloupe, said in the video that the struggle has always been part of him and that he knows what it means to fall and get back up. Reports said the video caused a stir across France, a country where several contenders are already preparing to succeed Emmanuel Macron.

Why he is running

In a lengthy interview with the newspaper Le Parisien, Riner traced his decision to the period after the Paris Olympics, when he saw a whole nation unite with pride and then, only weeks later, divide. He described himself as neither left nor right, and one Greek report called him a centrist. He acknowledged that many candidates already exist, but said he intends to go all the way and would not have launched the bid without a real chance. Reports noted that he has no previous political experience and that he had hinted since last year that he was weighing a run. He also said he plans to keep competing and wants to take part in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, if his political position allows it and the French people give him permission.

The election calendar

The first round of the French presidential election is scheduled for 18 April 2027. If no candidate wins an absolute majority, a second round would be held on 2 May 2027. Emmanuel Macron cannot stand again because the constitution limits a president to two consecutive terms. Polling cited in one Greek report shows the far-right leader Marine Le Pen as a steady favourite. Riner's announcement comes at a time when the field is already crowded, and the timeline below sets out the key dates that now frame his campaign.

Entry requirements and rivals

To take part officially, Riner must gather 500 sponsorship signatures (parrainages) from elected officials, a requirement that applies to every candidate for the French presidency. Kathimerini described him as entering a race already packed with contenders for the succession to Macron. He framed his aim as showing that France can change, and he presented his candidacy as an alternative to a growing mood of pessimism and resignation that, in his view, runs through every age group. Riner has not yet passed the sponsorship threshold, and the reports do not say how many signatures he has collected so far.