Among the best known is another judoka, David Douillet. A two-time Olympic champion, he was a UMP member of parliament for Yvelines from 2009 to 2011, then from 2012 to 2017. The gamble of reaching the highest offices is not without precedent abroad. The footballer George Weah, Ballon d'Or 1995, was president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024.
A sprinter also held elected office: a right-wing member of parliament for Seine-et-Marne from 1986 until 2007 under the RPR label, he was mayor of Coulommiers for nearly sixteen years, from 1992 to 2008.
In France, the move from sport to politics is part of a long tradition. Under the Fifth Republic, the post of minister or secretary of state for Sports has often been entrusted to a former champion.
After this announcement, he intends to follow in the footsteps of many French athletes who have entered politics. He also wishes to continue his sporting career at the same time as his political commitment.
Very few of them have pursued both careers at once, as Teddy Riner wishes to do.
A female athlete from this background now heads the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).