Judo champion Teddy Riner announces he is a candidate in France's 2027 presidential election
Teddy Riner, France's five-time Olympic judo champion, announced in a video on social media on Monday that he is a candidate in the 2027 presidential election. He told Le Parisien he positions himself as neither right-wing nor left-wing and wants to be a president who brings people together, under the slogan 'La France qu'on veut' — the France we want. He said the bid does not rule out competing at the LA 2028 Olympics. Before his name can reach the ballot, he must win the backing of 500 elected officials.
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Key points
- Riner's own words: 'I am a candidate in the 2027 presidential election.'
- He runs as neither right-wing nor left-wing, under the slogan 'The France we want', and says the bid does not rule out LA 2028.
- The election's first round is on 18 April 2027, with a runoff on 2 May if no candidate wins a majority.
- He still needs 500 elected-official sponsorships to reach the ballot — none has been counted yet.
Watch: the moment itself
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Video: franceinfo · Watch on YouTube
What happened
Riner is one of France's most popular public figures, a heavyweight champion from Guadeloupe who has dominated his sport for over a decade, and his announcement lands in a crowded and unsettled race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, who cannot seek a third term. AFP reports that far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is leading early polls.
France's 500-sponsorship rule has ended celebrity candidacies before they began: a famous name still needs 500 mayors and other elected officials, spread across at least 30 departments, each able to back only one candidate. Riner's first contest is that signature race, which opens in February.
Claim by claim
Why this label: Riner's own words in his announcement video, as reported by AFP and the Associated Press in agreement on the wording. That he has declared is verified by his own announcement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: Riner's own words to Le Parisien, as reported by the Associated Press, AFP and LaPresse. His positioning is carried as his stated position.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: His record and his answer on LA 2028, as reported by NBC Sports and the Associated Press.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
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Why this label: The 500-sponsorship requirement is the standing rule of French presidential elections; the collection window opens in February 2027. No sponsorship count for Riner had been published when this story went out.
On the ladder: the evidence so far sits low — early, single or social sources. We publish the claim as a claim, never as fact.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- What Riner announced, in his own words, and how he positions himself — neither right nor left, a president who brings people together.
- The road to the ballot: 500 sponsorships from at least 30 departments, with the first round on 18 April 2027.
What we don't know yet
- Whether Riner can gather the 500 sponsorships — no count has been published.
- His policies: beyond unity, purchasing power and national cohesion in his first interviews, no programme has been published.
Why it matters
A five-time Olympic champion entering a presidential race tests whether trust earned in sport transfers to politics. The announcement is the easy part: the sponsorship count in February and March will show whether elected officials across France are willing to put their names to an outsider with no party behind him.
Background
Show the background timeline (4)
Riner wins individual Olympic judo gold in London, Rio and Paris, plus two mixed team golds, and co-lights the Paris 2024 cauldron.
Riner announces his presidential candidacy in a social-media video and a Le Parisien interview.
The sponsorship window: candidates must file 500 elected-official sponsorships by 12 March 2027.
France's presidential election: first round, then a runoff if no candidate wins a majority.
Update history
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- Latest
Published in Checking state — the candidacy is announced, and the 500 sponsorships that would put Riner on the ballot have not yet been gathered or counted.