Presidential 2027: “Teddy Riner surprises us as he did on the tatamis”, underlines Fabien Galthié

Five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner, icon of French sport, announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election on Monday in a video posted on his social networks. “My name is Teddy Riner and today, I tell you eye to eye, I am a candidate for the 2027 presidential election,” declared the 37-year-old Guadeloupean during this surprise announcement. “Fighting has always been a part of me. I know what it’s like to fight, to fall, to always get back up,” added the still active judoka, sitting in front of a bookcase, dressed in a white shirt and a dark jacket.

Before Friday evening's shock against South Africa, the coach of the XV of France, Fabien Galthié, was questioned at a press conference in Marcoussis about this announcement from Teddy Riner. “I try to follow the news because it’s not off topic, since we’ve just been talking about the Republic. When you are coach of the France team, you are interested in everything that is happening in your country. We are interested in politics, economics, sociology, and the history of our country. We are interested in ecology, of course, in climate issues, declared Fabien Galthié. Me, being a rural child, born in the Lot, I am very impacted by what is happening around ecology and the climatic environment. This of course affects agriculture, the peasants from whom I come, the farmers, rural France.”

And the French coach continued: “I am of course interested in modern France and everything that happens in France. So, of course, I have a duty as coach to stay in my place and take care of the France team. But I'm really interested in everything that happens in political terms. So when he announced his candidacy, he was the 36th candidate. I learned this morning that there was a 37th declared candidate. It's a fact. What can I say? He commits. He's a great sportsman. It’s an example for French athletes, for young French people. I think that the place of sport in education is very important. The place of culture in the education of young people and also in the education of adults. Sport is a reference, it’s a way of living together, it’s the community, it’s rules, it’s training, it’s learning to lose, to suffer, to respect your opponent.”

Fabien Galthié adds that “in a society, obviously, there is room for other cultural activities, but sport is one of them. Teddy Riner is one of our great athletes. Today, he gets involved and decides to be a candidate. He surprises us, but perhaps, on tatami, that was also his strong point: he surprised. It’s surely something he’s been mulling over for a long time. He is committed to his country. Once again, what I can note is his courage, his notion of commitment. I want to salute the great sportsman that he is and the example that he represents for all our young people in terms of sport. I think he inspires a lot of young people, especially all young judokas. This is what I can say about him. He was the 36th, today he is the 37th declared candidate. There may be others. In any case, I follow very closely what is happening in our country, the politics and the issues for our society.