Judo champion shakes up French presidential race with surprise candidacy

Apart from an overwhelming urge to pin one's opponent to the floor of the house, there is no obvious connection between politics and the world of top-level judo. That has not stopped France's much-garlanded world heavyweight champion Teddy Riner from throwing his hat into the ring for next April's presidential race. The Guadeloupe-born 37-year-old may have no experience of public office, no party behind him, and as yet no manifesto.

All so far is a slogan La France qu'on aime (The France we love), a declaration on social media, and a campaign visit to a hospital in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb of northern Paris. Riner is, after all, one of the most popular figures in modern-day France, regularly topping the polls for embodying the nation's "values". He is a proven winner, with five Olympic golds and 11 world championships under his belt, as well as a successful career in business.

More than 28 million people have watched his election broadcast on Instagram and X, shot with proper presidential decorum against a backdrop of books and a French flag.