There are two types of people in the world of judo; there are those who want to be Olympic champions to be part of history, and there is Teddy Riner. He wants to be the story.

He has everything to complete a never-before-seen work of art. The Frenchman is seeking his third Olympic title, to add to his ten world and four European golds. His thing is not to enter the pantheon but to destroy the door with a ram and to sit on the throne of eternity. 

Teddy Riner has crossed the borders of judo by himself because he has exercised both physical and mental dominance over his rivals for more than ten years. He has only lost two bouts since 2008, when Nicolas Sarkozy and George W. Bush were presidents of France and the United States. Riner is part of that cast of gifted elect who walk on water as if it were something normal. When an athlete has won his game before starting because the opponent has already surrendered, that explains everything about the abysmal superiority between Riner and the rest and the strict and firm control that he maintains over a discipline. Riner is more than a gigantic track record, it is the mold that many have wanted to imitate. There has been grotesque plagiarism and the Frenchman has always emerged from all traps with his head held high and a gold medal. His 2020 loss to Japan's Kokoro Kageura was not the sign of impending decline but rather the message of poor form. Riner understood it and when he reappeared in Doha, he did the usual: win without breaking a sweat. 

Teddy Riner in white judogi

He has not returned to compete, he does not need to and that annoys many because he goes to Tokyo as number 16 in the world, which means that any seed, even the first or second, can face the French in the first round. That is why the category of the heaviest is a myth, because in addition to the kilos and the size of the judoka, Riner is the planet around which all the satellites revolve. 

Take the case of Tamerlan Bashaev, first in Antalya, first again in Kazan and second in the World Championships in Budapest. Those are some results that have allowed him to reach Tokyo as world number one, which, in any other category, except in –73kg, would be a guarantee of initial tranquility. With Riner no-one is able to sleep and only the most unconscious will arrive relaxed. Maybe that's the key to knocking down the French colossus. 

Tamerlan Bashaev in white judogi and Or Sasson

Check out the Czech Lukas Krpaleck and the Georgian Guram Tushishvili and of course the Japanese Hisayoshi Harasawa and the Dutch Henk Grol, all sculpted after Riner to finish him off. They have all lost to him. However, for two years there is the hope of making Riner fall because he has competed little, he has not been in shape and he has even lost, but at the hands of a young man who is now world champion but will not participate in the Games. 

All the aspirants are true mountains, such as Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Mount Wilson or Mont Blanc. Riner is not Everest but the entire Himalayan range. Winning against him would be, without a doubt, one of the greatest feats of all time. Riner's victory would be even greater for what it would represent, but also normal and that is what is not normal. At the moment, while waiting for the draw, everyone trembles and one smiles. 

Lukas Krpaleck in blue judogi and Hisayoshi Harasawa
See also
Dushanbe GS 2025
The World Judo Tour Is Back in Tajikistan

01. May. 2025 / The Dushanbe Grand Slam 2025 will take place in the ...

Interview
Julien Goes Around the World (28)

01. May. 2025 / Julien Brulard continues his world tour, travelling ...

Pan-America
The PJC Has a New Secretary General

28. Apr. 2025 / Dr Antonio Castro has been a highly active member of ...

Continental Championships
Continental Championships Packed to Capacity

27. Apr. 2025 / April is always a highly anticipated month across the ...

Africa Judo Union
Egypt Dominates Day Three in Abidjan

27. Apr. 2025 / The second day of the African Senior Championships ...

Judo Union of Asia
Strong Finish for Uzbekistan, Bahrain, China and Korea

27. Apr. 2025 / As expected, on the final day of competition at the ...

European Judo Union
The Final Day of Individual Competition in Podgorica

26. Apr. 2025 / The third and final day of individual competition has ...

Gender Equality
I Will Do It!

26. Apr. 2025 / Under the leadership of its newly re-elected president, ...

Gender Equality
Judo Skipathon for Women's Empowerment

26. Apr. 2025 / From 21st March to 21st April 2025, judo clubs from ...

Africa Judo Union
First Day of the African Championships: Soumiya Iraoui Wins for the Fifth Time

26. Apr. 2025 / The first day of the 46th African Senior Championships ...

Judo Union of Asia
Japan Dominates Again but Uzbekistan and Korea Show Their Strength

26. Apr. 2025 / On the second day of the 2025 Asian Judo Championships ...

Interview
Panam is Ready!

25. Apr. 2025 / Carlos Zegarra Presser is the newly re-elected president ...

Interview
Chile Demonstrates Its Capacities

25. Apr. 2025 / Marcelo Simian is the President of the Chilean Judo ...

INTERVIEW EXPRESS
Shishime Ai (JPN)

08. Jun. 2018 / The next reigning world champion to be invited to answer ...

News
5 Key Takeaways from judo’s first Tokyo 2020 qualifier

06. Jun. 2018 / Highlights from Hohhot Grand Prix 2018

VIDEO
Judo for the World in Iran

07. Jun. 2018 / In April 2018, the International Judo Federation and ...

Meeting
JUDO: A Beneficial Cause

07. Jun. 2018 / 'Society should believe in sport as a beneficial cause ...