Teddy Riner: The judo star taking on Macron Le Pen to be France’s next president

Detailed summary

Judo star Teddy Riner is taking on what may be his toughest battle in the French presidential race

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French judo icon Teddy Riner suggests he would get the better of Donald Trump in a handshake contest if the pair were ever to meet as presidents of their respective nations—an assertion that is hardly a stretch.

Even with five Olympic gold medals under his belt and more than 3.3 million followers across his social media platforms, Riner’s newly announced bid for the presidency of France promises to be a far tougher contest than many of the opponents he defeated.

The list of celebrities who have successfully built political power from screen or sporting fame is notably shorter in France than in the United States, where Trump, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, two-time NBA champion Bill Bradley, and former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jack Kemp converted stardom into high office.

Retiring sporting icons such as two-time Olympic judo champion David Douillet, fencing champion Jean-François Lamour, and Guy Drut, the 110-metre hurdles champion at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, did win seats in France's parliament and served as sports ministers.

However, Riner is targeting France's top office, seeking to become the first famous figure to achieve this since World War II hero Gen. Charles de Gaulle.

To feature on the ballot for April’s first round of voting, Riner must gain endorsements from a minimum of 500 elected officials—a requirement purposefully designed to prove challenging.

The measure, intended to limit the size of the field and filter out fanciful candidacies, is an indication of how France has traditionally regarded running the country as a serious business. It has been in place since the 1981 election and was one of the barriers that foiled a presidential bid by comedian and actor Coluche that year.

“In France, there are complex hurdles to entry for people who don’t come from the establishment,” said François Hourmant, a professor of…

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