French judo legend and Olympic medallist Teddy Riner announces presidential bid

The French five-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner has announced that he would run in next year's presidential election in France. Riner has publicly said he was very worried about the rise of the far-right in France and told local media he is positioning himself as neither right-wing nor left-wing and hopes to become a president who brings people together. He enters the race with far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen leading in the polls to replace centrist president Emmanuel Macron next year. Riner said he intended to continue his sports career alongside his presidential bid. If elected president, he said he planned to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if the position allowed for it. In order to stand, Riner will need to gather 500 sponsorship signatures from elected officials as required by French law.