Olympic champion Teddy Riner has become a candidate for the French Presidency

Teddy Riner, France's Olympic champion judoka, announced he will run in the country's 2027 presidential election. Riner said he is entering politics to "lift France back up" and named the fight against racism among his priorities. The move adds a high-profile sports figure to a race whose incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term. It matters because Riner enters with broad public recognition but no elected-office record, and his candidacy could reshape the field's dynamics. What to watch next is whether he builds a formal party or alliance and how he polls against established candidates.