Olympic judoka Teddy Riner announces candidacy for France's 2027 presidential election

The announcement

Teddy Riner, a 37-year-old judoka and triple Olympic champion in the individual category, said on Monday, 9 November 2026, that he is a candidate in the 2027 French presidential election. He first made the decision public in an interview with Le Parisien, and AFP confirmed the report later that morning. He also posted a video on his social media accounts.

In that video, seated in front of a bookcase and wearing a white shirt and a dark jacket, he said he was telling viewers face to face that he is a candidate. He then added a line about his own background.

“Fighting has always been part of me. I know what it is to fight, to fall, and always to get back up.”

Positioning

Riner describes himself as neither right nor left, and says he wants to become a president who brings people together. He told Le Parisien that the decision goes back to the most recent Olympic Games, when he watched the country come together with pride and then split apart a few weeks later. In his account, the autumn is what finally pushed him to act.

He also defended the seriousness of his candidacy against those who might question a sports star running for office. He said that the truly unserious course would be to stay silent and remain a spectator while the country has been in difficulty for several years.

“What would not be serious would be not to speak up and to remain a spectator of what is happening in our country and, ultimately, for several years now.”

The race

Riner's campaign slogan is 'La France qu'on veut', and he launched a website using that phrase. Notícias ao Minuto reported that the official site was live from the day of the announcement. ANSA noted that the campaign so far has been dominated by the far-right Rassemblement National led by Marine Le Pen and the far-left France Insoumise led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, which is the field Riner says he wants to step outside of.

The announcement came at a time when many candidacies have been emerging for several weeks, according to 20 Minutes, which reported that Riner's entry added to a growing field. Riner was born in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe, and remains an active athlete while pursuing the bid.