Five time French Olympic gold medallist Teddy Riner described himself a a candidate of "unity" who sought to "unite" the left and right.
French judo star Teddy Riner, the winner of five Olympic gold medals, declared on Monday that he was a presidential candidate, with less than six months to go until the election in the spring.
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In an interview with French daily Le Parisien, Riner said he was neither "left nor right-wing" but aspired to be a candidate of unity. He added that he did not intend to end his sporting career, but instead sought to participate in the 2028 LA Olympics, should the public allow him to do so.
In a video posted on X, he said "France does not need a professional politician who lectures and bickers all day. It needs common sense, goodness and a state that puts things as they should be."
The 37-year-old said he expected people to view him as "crazy", having not had a prior career in politics or the "right connections." Despite this, he said "if refusing to bow to pressure and refusing to accept chaos makes me crazy, then yes, I am completely crazy."
"I won't be among those who stand by and watch the country burn, looking for excuses. My life hasn't been spent behind a desk. Fighting has always been a part of who I am. I know what it's like to struggle, to fall, and to get back up, time and time again," he stated.
Riner won the heavyweight division at the 2012, 2016 and 2024 Olympics and mixed team gold at the 2020 and 2024 Games. He has also won 11 world titles.
Another French star judoka, David Douillet, was elected to the French parliament in 2009 and served as sports minister from September 2011 to May 2012.
With less than six months to go until France's presidential election, the far-right National Rally party's Marine Le Pen is leading the polls with 36%, according to an IFOP poll for broadcaster LCI conducted from 27 to 29 October. She is followed by the hard-left France Unbowed's Jean-Luc Mélenchon, with an estimated 17.6% of voting intentions.