The French presidential election took an unexpected turn this week when Teddy Riner, a celebrated Olympian and judo star, announced his intention to run in the high-stakes race.
“I know what people will say about me: ‘He’s mad. He isn’t part of the establishment. He doesn’t know the rules. He has never been involved in politics,’” Riner said Monday in a video confirming his bid for the April 2027 election. “If refusing to bow my head and refusing chaos makes me mad, then yes, I am completely mad.” Referencing the widespread unrest and turmoil that has enveloped France since September, Riner emphasized that “the time has come to step up and take responsibility.”
The wave of protests started when students blockaded high schools, demanding a reform of what they argue is an underfunded education system. The unrest soon turned into national demonstrations, spurred by multi-generational concerns over cost-of-living pressures. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to streets across the country, with some protests turning violent. Buildings and vehicles were set alight, while tear gas and water cannons were used to dispel crowds after clashes between protesters and riot police. At least 5,000 people have been arrested over the unrest, according to the Interior Ministry, as authorities grapple to regain control of the situation.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "unbridled violence" in a televised national address last month and has repeatedly pledged to restore calm. While the embattled leader told young people their concerns over learning conditions will be addressed, student groups have vowed to keep up the protest pressure.
The political instability has only served to raise the stakes of next year’s presidential elections, which will see a successor appointed as Macron completes his consecutive two-term limited stint.
“I know what it means to fight, to fall and to get back up,” said Riner, positioning himself as the person to bring the country out of its turmoil. “France does not need a professional politician who recites lessons and quarrels all day long. It needs common sense, firmness, justice and a state that puts things right.”
In line with France’s procedure, Riner will require the signatures of “500 elected representatives, in at least 30 different Departments or Overseas Territories, without more than a tenth of them being elected from the same Department or Overseas Territory,” before he is considered an eligible presidential candidate. It’s a tall task for anyone, but especially someone with no discernible political experience.
Acquiring such signatures “can be a real barrier for a political outsider,” says Rainbow Murray, a professor of politics at the Queen Mary University of London. “[Riner] would have to find independent local politicians and/or people willing to defect from their party nominee to him.”
Macron has welcomed the celebrity addition to the presidential race, telling French broadcaster France 5 that Riner is “a tremendous athlete” who has made the country proud. “I supported him in competitions and as an athlete, and he is a committed man,” Macron added.
Despite the support, Riner, 37, faces stiff competition from figures who have spent years building names for themselves in the political sphere. The far-right National Rally party, and its candidate Marine Le Pen, is favored among likely voters. Le Pen was convicted of misusing E.U. funds last year. An appeals court upheld the conviction in July, but shortened her sentence, clearing the path for her to run in the presidential election. Le Pen has been hailed as a “conservative voice” by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the hard-left candidate of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, is also in the running for the French presidency, along with centrist candidates Gabriel Attal and Édouard Philippe, and other hopefuls. Le Pen and Mélenchon are currently leading in the polls.
In an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien, Riner distanced himself from aligning with solely the left or right, saying he instead hopes to become a “President who unites.” This centrist positioning is common in French politics, experts tell TIME.
“That's a very French thing, to say that you're neither left nor right,” says Thibault Muzergues, political director at the Dutch-based think tank Shared Ground, pointing to previous instances of Macron and Le Pen using similar rhetoric.
As Riner prepares for an uphill battle, here’s what to know about the Olympic champion who is hoping to be the next resident of the Élysée Palace.
Riner made history as the youngest world champion in judo at 18-years-old, winning gold at the 2007 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro. He has since secured his athletic star status by winning five Olympic gold medals, on top of enjoying a 10-year winning streak in his judo matches between 2010 and 2020.
Interestingly, Riner would not be the first French judoka to shift into politics. Olympic champion David Douillet became a member of the French National Assembly in 2009 and later served as the Minister of Sport.
However, Riner’s political ambitions shouldn’t be taken as a sign he’s set to retire. If he were to become President, he’d still want to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, he told Le Parisien, but only “if the position allows it, and if the French people allow it.”
While Riner’s sports-heavy resume may not include any political experience, it doesn’t mean he’s not a viable potential candidate. Macron had never held elected office before his victory in 2017. “By breaking the party system, Macron made it much easier for candidates like [Riner] from civil society to emerge,” says Muzergues.
Riner presents a popular reality TV show alongside his partner
Riner, alongside his real-life partner Luthna Plocus, hosts the French adaptation of Netflix’s Love is Blind.
The first season of the show aired in 2025 and garnered an estimated 1.3 million viewers in its first week, opening up Riner to a whole new audience.
Riner has previously credited his partner, with whom he has two children, for being a driving force behind his athletic successes. “Without her, nothing is possible,” he told Paris Match ahead of the 2024 Olympics in France. “She helps me get enough sleep, watches over my nutrition, and organizes family life.”
Plocus, in return, praised her partnership with Riner. “We're a balanced and interchangeable duo. Except that I'm incapable of taking his place on the tatami. He won his competitions all by himself,” she said.
During an interview in September, Riner said he was “anxious” over far-right extremism in France.
“Seeing all this makes me anxious. The rise of extremism, it freaks me out,” he said. When asked if he was referring to extremes on both the left and right, Riner said: “The far right. Let’s call a spade a spade.”
Riner later reported receiving “numerous tweets, posts, comments, and messages of a hateful or racist nature” following his comments. He vowed to continue to express himself “freely, with respect, and without hatred.”
Paris’ public prosecutor opened an investigation into the racist abuse and harassment.
Riner outlined his hopes for France’s youth, but hasn’t unveiled a campaign platform
Amid the unrest across France, Macron’s popularity rating dipped to just 15%, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s rating only slightly higher at 22%, according to a poll published in October.
“The French are very unhappy with the political status quo, so are perhaps more open to an outsider who promises to shake things up,” says Murray, suggesting the unstable political climate could work in Riner’s favor.
Riner condemned instances of violence in the protests, insisting that “those responsible must be identified and sanctioned,” but he has also said he refuses to “put an entire generation on trial.”
He added: “I want a young person who pushes open the door of their high school to be able to think about their future, not their safety.”
Aside from his commentary on the turmoil, Riner has yet to establish his exact vision for the future of France.
“He's riffing on the recent protests, showing solidarity with students, and has also talked about pension reform and anti-racism,” says Murray. “However, he has not yet taken a stance on most policy areas.”
This ambiguity could work in the judoka’s favor, but only for a short while, experts suggest.
"I think there are people right now desperately looking for the centrist candidate that is going to avoid the second round [a run-off vote] between Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen," says Muzergues. "Riner seems like a possibility... but the problem is, at some point, he will need to come up with a political program and he's going to have to make choices."
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