Judo star Teddy Riner says he will run for president of France
Teddy Riner, one of France's best-known sportspeople, has announced that he will stand in the country's 2027 presidential election. He wants to replace the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, at the top of the French state.
The news broke on Monday 9 November 2026. Riner told the Paris newspaper Le Parisien in an exclusive interview that he had made up his mind, according to Deadline. He also announced the decision in a video posted to Instagram that day. In it he said "Je refuse de rester spectateur", which means "I refuse to remain a spectator", as Charente Libre reported.
Riner is 37 years old. He is a heavyweight judo fighter, a sport built on throws and grappling, and he is a nine-time world champion in his weight class. Le Monde describes him as a five-time Olympic champion in its report on the announcement. He is also the only judoka to have won 12 medals at the World Judo Championships.
Riner's public profile goes well beyond the mat. He hosted the Netflix dating show Love is Blind: France with his partner, Luthna Plocus. He also runs a holding company, TR Leader Group, with interests in audiovisual production, real estate, sports clothing and commercial branding, per Deadline.
In the Le Parisien interview, Riner said his aim was to bring the French people together. He said he would be positioned "neither to the right, nor the left". That places him outside the traditional party lines that have shaped French politics for decades, although he has not yet said which platform or policies he will put forward.
The timetable is now fixed. The first round of voting is set for 18 April 2027. If no candidate wins an outright majority, a second round will take place on 2 May 2027, according to Deadline.
Riner joins a field that is already taking shape. Marine Le Pen has said she will run, a claim that Reuters reported in a video published in July 2026. Bruno Retailleau, a conservative, confirmed in February 2026 that he will also run, as Reuters reported at the time.
What makes this announcement stand out is the leap itself. Few people move from the sports field straight to a presidential campaign. Riner has not held elected office, and his candidacy has been announced without a party structure. Those details will matter as the campaign moves forward.
For voters, the next milestones are the spring of 2027 votes. Until then, every new statement from Riner, and every rival's response, will shape how the race looks.
