‘I know what it’s like to fight’- France’s most popular sportsman says he’s running for president

Five-times Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner says he is neither leftwing nor rightwing but would seek to ‘bring people together’

The French judo star and five-times Olympic gold medallist Teddy Riner has announced plans to run in next year’s presidential election, describing himself as someone neither leftwing nor rightwing but who would seek to “bring people together”.

With more than five months before the April-May ballot to replace Emmanuel Macron, the race has been shaping up to be a showdown between political extremes. Polls point to a hollowing out of the political centre, suggesting that the anti-immigrant National Rally leader Marine Le Pen could be the frontrunner, with the radical-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon trailing behind.