Teddy Riner: "The best role would be president," the judoka no longer hides his political ambitions

Teddy Riner is considering "a competition within two or three months." "For the moment, we don't know exactly which one. After the Games, it wasn't easy, especially since I had an operation (editor's note: on an elbow), so I gave myself time to breathe, to respond to all the requests, and today, very slowly, we're getting back into a framework," he said.

"We don't really know when we'll resume because it depends on his fitness," explained fitness coach Julien Corvo, while the daily newspaper "Le Parisien" mentioned on Saturday a return to competition in Mexico on October 19. "If he feels good," Julien Corvo stressed, but "not necessarily if the lights aren't green."

"These will be my sixth Olympics, and I don't want to approach them as usual," explains the 36-year-old judoka. "We'll take the time to prepare well, and when we're ready, we'll go to a competition, a second, and then a third," he adds. "In this last Olympics, which will be my last page in judo, I want to enjoy myself. I really want to have a blast, go to competitions and tournaments that I enjoy."

Some time ago, Teddy Riner had quickly mentioned a presidential destiny, creating a buzz. When asked about his thoughts, he insisted: "I am a high-level athlete, and we often tend to be told that we have no right to speak out. I am a citizen first and foremost, so I have the right to say what I would like for my country. If I enter politics tomorrow, it is not to have a ministerial position, it is to have a role that makes a difference. For me, the best role would be president."

And when we talk about the steps to take in politics, as in sports, before reaching the top, the confidence of the exceptional champion stands out. "I don't think I had any steps in my sport. I was always outclassed. When you're the best, you're the best. Now you don't become the best on your own. When I started in judo, I took an excellent physical trainer, a psychologist, an excellent judo coach. If tomorrow I had to pursue a career in politics, I would do the same. You can't be a leader on your own, if I managed to have this career, it's because I had the best around me," says Teddy Riner, who considers the international situation to be "a catastrophe."

He also considers the French situation to be "very complicated." "Whether it's political or even economic, we're not in a good place," he says, advocating "a climate of calm." "It would be good if we could find solutions quickly," he hopes, sitting in front of a photo of Emmanuel Macron in the French Pavilion.

The Frenchman invests heavily in business. He was recently seen alongside Xavier Niel for an aborted takeover of Le Coq Sportif, or in the Decathlon laboratories for the design of a shoe. "My father always told me, 'Think about your post-career, if you get injured, you have to think about having a job, having a roof over your head.' So I always had that in the back of my mind," explains the five-time Olympic gold medalist who feels drawn to entrepreneurship.

"I partnered to relaunch the French brand Thompson, which makes computers, PCs, everything high-tech. Right now, I'm in the process of launching gyms, so I'm involved in a lot of things," he explains, setting a date after 2028 to find out more.